Arasu Shanmugam, Director and CEO-India, IFGL, discusses the diversification of the refractory sector into the cement industry with sustainable and innovative solutions, including green refractories and advanced technologies like shotcrete.

Tell us about your company, it being India’s first refractory all Indian MNC.
IFGL Refractories has traditionally focused on the steel industry. However, as part of our diversification strategy, we decided to expand into the cement sector a year ago, offering a comprehensive range of solutions. These solutions cover the entire process, from the preheater stage to the cooler. On the product side, we provide a full range, including alumina bricks, monolithics, castables, and basic refractories.
In a remarkably short span of time, we have built the capability to offer complete solutions to the cement industry using our own products. Although the cement segment is new for IFGL, the team handling this business vertical has 30 years of experience in the cement industry. This expertise has been instrumental in establishing a brand-new greenfield project for alumina bricks, which is now operational. Since production began in May, we are fully booked for the next six months, with orders extending until May 2025. This demonstrates the credibility we have quickly established, driven by our team’s experience and the company’s agility, which has been a core strength for us in the steel industry and will now benefit our cement initiatives.
As a 100 per cent Indian-owned multinational company, IFGL stands out in the refractory sector, where most leading players providing cement solutions are foreign-owned. We are listed on the stock exchange and have a global footprint, including plants in the United Kingdom, where we are the largest refractory producer, thanks to our operations with Sheffield Refractories and Monocon. Additionally, we have a plant in the United States that produces state-of-the-art black refractories for critical steel applications, a plant in Germany providing filtering solutions for the foundry sector, and a base in China, ensuring secure access to high-quality raw materials.
China, as a major source of pure raw materials for refractories, is critical to the global supply chain. We have strategically developed our own base there, ensuring both raw material security and technological advancements. For instance, Sheffield Refractories is a leader in cutting-edge shotcreting technology, which is particularly relevant to the cement industry. Since downtime in cement plants incurs costs far greater than refractory expenses, this technology, which enables rapid repairs and quicker return to production, is a game-changer. Leading cement manufacturers in the country have already expressed significant interest in this service, which we plan to launch in March 2025.
With this strong foundation, we are entering the cement industry with confidence and a commitment to delivering innovative and efficient solutions.
Could you share any differences you’ve observed in business operations between regions like Europe, India, and China? How do their functionalities and approaches vary?
When it comes to business functionality, Europe is unfortunately a shrinking market. There is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm, and companies there often face challenges in forming partnerships with vendors. In contrast, India presents an evolving scenario where close partnerships with vendors have become a key trend. About 15 years ago, refractory suppliers were viewed merely as vendors supplying commodities. Today, however, they are integral to the customer’s value creation chain.
We now have a deep understanding of our customers’ process variations and advancements. This integration allows us to align our refractory solutions with their evolving processes, strengthening our role as a value chain partner. This collaborative approach is a major differentiator, and I don’t see it happening anywhere else on the same scale. Additionally, India is the only region globally experiencing significant growth. As a result, international players are increasingly looking at India as a potential market for expansion. Given this, we take pride in being an Indian company for over four decades and aim to contribute to making Aatma Nirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) a reality.
Moving on to the net-zero mission, it’s crucial to discuss our contributions to sustainability in the cement industry. Traditionally, we focused on providing burnt bricks, which require significant fuel consumption during firing and result in higher greenhouse gas emissions, particularly CO2. With the introduction of Sheffield Refractories’ green technology, we are now promoting the use of green refractories in cement production. Increasing the share of green refractories naturally reduces CO2 emissions per ton of clinker produced.
Our honourable Prime Minister has set the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2070. We are committed to being key enablers of this vision by expanding the use of green refractories and providing sustainable solutions to the cement industry, reducing reliance on burnt refractories.

Technology is advancing rapidly. What role does it play in helping you achieve your targets and support the cement industry?
Technology plays a critical role in achieving our goals and supporting the cement industry. As I mentioned earlier, the reduction in specific refractory consumption is driven by two key factors: refining customer processes and enhancing refractory quality. By working closely as partners with our customers, we gain a deeper understanding of their evolving needs, enabling us to continuously innovate. For example, in November 2022, we established a state-of-the-art research centre in India for IFGL, something we didn’t have before.
The primary objective of this centre is to leverage in-house technology to enhance the utilisation of recycled materials in manufacturing our products. By increasing the proportion of recycled materials, we reduce the depletion of natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions. In essence, our focus is on developing sustainable, green refractories while promoting circularity in our business processes. This multi-faceted approach ensures we contribute to environmental sustainability while meeting the industry’s demands.

Of course, this all sounds promising, but there must be challenges you’re facing along the way. Could you elaborate on those?
One challenge we face is related to India’s mineral resources. For instance, there are oxide deposits in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, but unfortunately, they contain a higher percentage of impurities. On the magnesite side, India has deposits in three regions: Salem in Tamil Nadu, Almora in Uttarakhand, and Jammu. However, these magnesite deposits also have impurities. We believe the government should take up research and development initiatives to beneficiate these minerals, which are abundantly available in India, and make them suitable for producing high-end refractories. This task is beyond the capacity of an individual refractories company and requires focused policy intervention. While the government is undertaking several initiatives, beneficiation of minerals like Indian magnesite and Indian oxide needs to become a key area of focus.
Another crucial policy support we require is recognising the importance of refractories in industrial production. The reality is that without refractories, not even a single kilogram of steel or cement can be produced. Despite this, refractories are not included in the list of core industries. We urge the government to designate refractories as a core industry, which would ensure dedicated focus, including R&D allocations for initiatives like raw material beneficiation. At IFGL, we are taking proactive steps to address some of these challenges. For instance, we own Sheffield Refractories, a global leader in shotcrete technology. We are bringing this technology to India, with implementation planned from March onwards. Additionally, our partnership with Marvel Refractories in China enables us to leverage their expertise in providing high-quality refractories for steel and cement industries worldwide.
While we are making significant efforts at our level, policy support from the government—such as recognising refractories as a core industry and fostering research for local raw material beneficiation—would accelerate progress. This combined effort would greatly enhance India’s capability to produce high-end refractories and meet the growing demands of critical industries.

Could you share your opinion on the journey toward achieving net-zero emissions? How do you envision this journey unfolding?
The journey toward net zero is progressing steadily. For instance, even at this conference, we can observe the commitment as a country toward this goal. Achieving net zero involves having a clear starting point, a defined objective, and a pace to progress. I believe we are already moving at an impressive speed toward realising this goal. One example is the significant reduction in energy consumption per ton of clinker, which has halved over the past 7–8 years—a remarkable achievement.
Another critical aspect is the emphasis on circularity in the cement industry. The use of gypsum, which is a byproduct of the fertiliser and chemical industries, as well as fly ash generated by the power industry, has been effectively incorporated into cement production. Additionally, a recent advancement involves the use of calcined clay as an active component in cement. I am particularly encouraged by discussions around incorporating 12 per cent to 15 per cent limestone into the mix without the need for burning, which does not compromise the quality of the final product. These strategies demonstrate the cement industry’s constructive and innovative approach toward achieving net-zero emissions. The pace at which these advancements are being adopted is highly encouraging, and I believe we are on a fast track to reaching this critical milestone.

– Kanika Mathur

With over 100 exhibitors, the Cement Expo witnessed 3,000+ business visitors, including CXOs, plant heads, technology leaders, procurement heads, government officials and major contractors and developers.

The 15th Cement Expo and Conference also served as a vibrant marketplace of ideas, technology advancements and strategic collaborations. Across the exhibition halls, visitors interacted with global OEMs, breakthrough start-ups and established service providers demonstrating solutions spanning digital optimisation, energy efficiency, wear protection, predictive maintenance and next-generation logistics. Live demos and technical walkthroughs enabled plant and procurement teams to evaluate equipment performance up close, leading to numerous qualified business enquiries and partnership discussions.
The atmosphere remained energetic throughout the two days, with exhibitors noting a marked increase in high-quality footfall and focused technical conversations. As India’s cement sector accelerates its shift toward automation, sustainability and higher-capacity operations, the Expo reaffirmed its position as a must-attend platform for companies seeking visibility, market expansion and technology-led differentiation.
Let’s look at the 15th Cement Expo snapshots:

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The ICR Conference explored the theme of driving sustainability through technology, wherein industry experts shared insights on policy, market synergies and technological pathways that are aiding low-carbon, efficient and sustainable construction. Through insightful panel discussions and presentations, innovative and path-breaking ideas emerged that would lead the Indian cement sector towards a brighter, greener future. The Multilogistix Conference was also held concurrently, which comprised building smarter, more sustainable supply chains and digital transformation.

The conference started with the VIP guests participating in the lamp lighting and ribbon cutting ceremonies, followed by a welcome speech by Pratap Padode, Founder, ASAPP Info Global Group & Editor-in-Chief Indian Cement Review; and an address by Sumit Banerjee, Director, JSW Cement and Former MD, ACC and Chairman of Editorial Advisory Board of Indian Cement Review. Guests of Honour Sudhanshu Pandey, Election Commissioner (UTs); Sagar Kadu, Director – Logistics Division, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India; and Sanjay Bhatia, Upalokayukta, Govt of Maharashtra, Chairman of MultiLogistix Committee, also enlightened the audience with their insights.
In his welcome speech Padode pointed out, “Today, we are talking about decarbonisation, which is the theme of our conference and of our annual issue, and we have COP30 going on in Brazil at the same time.
And yes, it’s a difficult subject to tackle in a year or a decade or even a couple of decades, but we are seriously recognising it—probably by force of nature—but we are. And I think government policy is supporting the move to make sustainability a part of the exercise that all companies have to undergo. Infrastructure is on a roll as far as our country is concerned. Eleven trillion rupees have been allocated in our budget, which is still short of what ought to be. We should be somewhere in the range of 16 to 17 trillion, as per the plan made by the government themselves earlier. But we can see visible changes in cities.”

Thoughts on decarbonisation
In his speech, Kadu said, “Today, when we speak about India’s Vision 2047 or the USD 32 trillion economic goal, logistics is playing an extremely important role. As all economic sectors evolve, the logistics sector is also rapidly transforming—adapting to change, embracing innovation, and strengthening collaboration. Conferences like this, and partnerships among stakeholders, allow us to exchange ideas, understand each other’s needs, and build the kind of cooperative ecosystem that lies at the core of government policies such as PM GatiShakti and the National Logistics Policy. Whether it is cement, steel or agriculture, bringing sectors together and learning from industry experience is central to how we design policies going forward.
Cement plays a vital role in major national programmes like Sagarmala, Bharatmala and various Pariyojanas, and therefore seamless infrastructure connectivity becomes essential from both the government and industry perspective.”
Giving insights on the theme, Pandey elaborated, “Collaboration is not just a slogan, it is a realistic path forward, which we all must encompass. The next decade offers unprecedented opportunities for the sector as India’s infrastructure growth history is unfolding gradually.
The alternative raw materials and fuels from industrial by-products like fly ash, slag to agricultural residues and green hydrogen, and the potential to replace carbon intensive inputs is immense. The carbon capture and utilisation technologies and converting it into construction material or chemicals are rapidly evolving. India can be a testbed for all such technologies. Circular economy is another area where we all have to work. The cement sector can play a central role in waste, co-processing, reducing landfill burdens and supporting the Swachh Bharat Mission in a big way. Green financing will give us to access climate finance, green bonds and ESG linked funding, which can accelerate adoption of clean technologies across the value chain.”
“I am very optimistic about what is happening in India. I was part of the team that prepared the Sagar Mala vision and later the Vision 2030 for shipping and ports. I remember deliberating across nearly 250 meetings with all kinds of stakeholders at that time, including the private sector. And now, I am actually seeing the results of that work. PM Gati Shakti is essentially a combination of Sagar Mala, Bharat Mala, the railways—all integrated together. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there is now a PM Gati Shakti University dedicated entirely to logistics.
It is extremely encouraging to see a university working so comprehensively on this sector. The great work being done is now visible on the ground. I am from Mumbai, and if you have recently visited the city, you would have seen how completely it has transformed. The Coastal Road, Atal Setu, the metro, the Navi Mumbai International Airport, Samruddhi Marg joining Nagpur to Mumbai—all have been completed. Everything we used to plan in the war rooms at that time, whether with the Government of Maharashtra or the Prime Minister’s Office, is now beginning to show tangible results. That is why I am very optimistic about our progress—and cement is at the heart of this progress,” Bhatia expounded.
Later during the conference, Deepak Shetty, Former Secretary to the Government of India and Director General of Shipping, said, “All of us are aware that we are the fastest-growing economy in the world with by far a 6 to 7.7 per cent GDP growth rate, and by all accounts—be it the International Monetary Fund, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the OECD— all of them prophesy, and the prognosis of all of them is that come 2050 India is poised to become global number two as an economy. That’s well beyond India’s 100 years of independence celebration. We are possibly poised to become number two next only to China, probably overtaking the US.”

Thought-provoking exchange of ideas
The panel discussions spanned across the two days of the conference and were interspersed with individual presentations from industry experts and brand partners. The panels comprised subject matter experts who led the conversation on decarbonisation of the cement sector.

Presentations by industry experts

Across the two-day conference, many industry experts also presented papers and showcased case studies highlighting the numerous innovations taking place in the industry, across different verticals that are helping take the Indian cement sector towards its Net Zero target. The keynote address was delivered by Parlikar who spoke about the importance of adopting circular economy principles to reduce environmental footprint and strengthen long-term economic resilience.