When people talk about disruption in the construction chemicals industry, says Debajit Chattopadhyay, the Managing Director, they often imagine a breakthrough product or a new formulation that promises higher strength or faster setting. While those innovations are important, the real disruption, he adds, that they introduced at Firstchoice Speciality Chemicals Pvt Ltd (FCSC) was far more fundamental. “It was not just what we sold, but how we chose to serve the construction industry.”
The single core principle that transformed their journey was this: they stopped seeing themselves as a product supplier and started acting as a solution provider at every stage of construction. That shift changed everything— “how we engaged with customers, how we invested in research, and how value was created on the ground.”
In the early days, the construction chemicals market largely revolved around standard products. Contractors and developers would ask for an admixture, waterproofing compound, or repair material, and companies would respond with a catalogue and a price.
Modern construction is no longer generic. High-rise buildings, infrastructure projects, precast elements, fast-track construction schedules, and sustainability targets have completely altered the demands placed on concrete and building materials. Designs are more complex, timelines are tighter, and tolerances are smaller. Yet, many in the industry were still trying to solve these new-age problems with old-age thinking.
Bridging the Gap
At Firstchoice, Debajit and his expert team recognized this gap early. They realized that if they truly wanted to add value, they must understand construction not just as chemistry, but as a process—from design intent to execution on site. ‘That realization became our disruption principle.”
Instead of asking, ‘Which product should they sell?’, they began asking, ‘What problem is this project trying to solve?’ That meant sitting with designers during the planning stage, understanding mix design challenges, studying site conditions, and anticipating performance requirements long before the first batch of concrete was poured. Team Firstchoice’s role expanded from the laboratory to the drawing board and finally to the construction site.
Another challenge was internal. Becoming a solution provider demands a different mindset from teams. Sales, technical service, and R&D cannot work in silos. Debajit explains that at Firstchoice, they aligned the teams around projects, not products. Everyone—from chemists to site engineers—understood that the end goal was not volume, but performance and trust.
“Today, this principle defines who we are. Our customers don’t come to us asking only for chemicals; they come with challenges—delays, performance gaps, durability concerns, or sustainability goals. And that is precisely where we want to be. By embedding ourselves into the construction process, we help shape outcomes, not just supply materials.”
In hindsight, the disruption was simple but powerful: understand modern construction deeply, and design solutions accordingly. “It required us to listen more, research harder, and step beyond conventional boundaries.” But it also allowed Firstchoice to create lasting value—value that is measured not just in cubic meters of concrete, but in confidence, reliability, and long-term performance.
A High-Performance Team
A company is nothing without its people and culture. At the core of Firstchoice’s culture is a simple belief: high-performance construction materials can only be developed by high-performance teams. As construction demands grew more complex—requiring faster construction cycles, higher durability, sustainability, and precision—the company understood that innovation could not be dictated from the top. Instead, it had to emerge from collaboration across R&D, production, technical services, and field teams who experience real construction challenges daily.
Strategic dissent plays a vital role in maintaining this culture. Firstchoice recognizes that progress often comes from disagreement backed by technical knowledge and data. Cross-functional review forums allow engineers, chemists, and technical experts to debate performance parameters, challenge market assumptions, and question feasibility before final decisions are made. This prevents groupthink and ensures that innovation is thoroughly tested from multiple perspectives.
Another critical element of the trailblazer culture is a close connection to modern construction sites. Field teams are empowered to bring real-world challenges—such as variability in aggregates, climate conditions, and execution limitations—back to the development teams. This continuous loop between site and laboratory ensures that high-performance materials are practical, reliable, and adaptable.
Importantly, Firstchoice measures success not only by commercial outcomes but by performance impact. Teams are recognized for improvements in material efficiency, durability enhancement, and problem-solving on complex projects.
Looking Five Years Ahead
Debajit predicts that the construction chemicals industry will no longer be defined merely by the products it supplies, but by the problems it solves. The most measurable and meaningful transformation he expects to see is a shift from product-driven transactions to solution-led partnerships—where construction chemical companies are embedded across the entire construction lifecycle. “At Firstchoice, we already see the early signals of this change, and we are actively working to accelerate it.” The ambition is to be recognized as a true solution provider at every stage of construction. The philosophy of delivering solutions ‘from foundation to finish’ is a commitment to continuity, accountability, and integration. Whether it is ground improvement, construction chemical performance enhancement, protection systems, or finishing solutions, the role is to ensure that each stage of construction works in harmony with the next. “Over the next five years, success for us will be measured by how seamlessly our solutions connect across this entire chain,” concludes Debajit.
