Economy & Market

Indian cement industry will grow at a CAGR of 12 per cent

Published

15 years ago

March 31, 2012

admin

KHD is a global leader in providing equipment and services to cement producers, with over 150 years of experience in the cement industry. Process engineering and project management are among the core competencies of the technology-focused group. KHD offers a wide spectrum of products and services for the cement industry and is a leader in environmentally friendly and energy-efficient products. KHD Humboldt Wedag India is a wholly owned subsidiary of KHD Humboldt Wedag International AG, and serves the Indian sub-continent with technology for the cement and minerals industries. An interview with Martin Gierse of KHD Humboldt Wedag IndiaWhat kinds of machinery is manufactured by you?
For cement plants, KHD offers full-line engineering and equipment supply, individual machines, equipment packages, spare parts, as well as process automation and instrumentation. We provide core equipment for over 50 per cent of an entire cement plant. Manufacturing is done partly at our own workshop in Faridabad and in close co-operation /association with select engineering workshops.Who are your major clients and how do you plan to expand your business?KHD HWI caters to clients in the Indian subcontinent, including Sri Lanka, as their main market. Our major clients are, amongst others, major cement players like Ultratech, Jaypee, and Shree Cement. There is good exposure to overseas projects, especially in Africa and the Middle East. Currently, HWI and KHD are targeting EPC solutions and expansion of our service offerings.What are the prospects for cement machinery in India?Recent forecasts for the coming three years project that the cement industry will grow with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 12 per cent, to reach 303 million metric tons per annum in 2014. Keeping the present degree of utilization in mind, this suggests a growth rate for the installation of production facilities to be roughly 8 per cent per annum.What are the latest technological developments in cement machinery?February 5, 2012, marked another milestone in grinding technology with the successful start-up of the first grinding plant with our COMFLEX-D? technology. With COMFLEX-D?, the largest kiln lines can be covered with one grinding unit. This technology proves to use the least power and has the lowest operational cost for grinding of raw material, clinker, and slag. Also recently, at the 6th Global CemFuels Conference in Aachen, Germany, KHD’s Combustion Chamber won the award for ‘Most innovative technology for alternative fuels use’.How crucial is R&D for KHD?
Our R&D is an important part of the success stories for many KHD technologies. We were the first to introduce many breakthroughs in the cement industry, like the world’s first preheater tower, or, more recently, our energy efficient COMFLEX? and COMFLEX-D? modular grinding systems. Our highly efficient pyro processing equipment requires less heat and energy consumption, and thus avoids unnecessary CO2. To keep this competitive edge, KHD conducts research, both within their own laboratory facilities, as well as those operated by our partnerships.Do you also export your machinery?
Though the Indian subcontinent is the home market for HWI, KHD has delivered equipment from India to other markets, like Africa, the Middle East, Nepal, Bhutan, and others. Indian-sourced equipment and technology can be a major part of the total deliveries.What are your future plans?Customers will look for highly efficient technology with the best balance of cost, performance, quality, and delivery. KHD will serve the local market through HWI, as a Customer Service Center, with latest technology and the appropriate sourcing strategy. Our focus is "Clean Technology" -low emissions, energy-efficient processes, and environmentally-friendly technology for benefit of our clients.In the future, we will see further strengthening of our local service business. As the most recent development, HWI set up a state-of-the-art roller refurbishment facility in India. The facility was successfully commissioned in January, and already a few rollers have been "rolled out". With this, the high quality that our clients connect with KHD equipment will be locally available and easily accessible.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

4 days ago

October 9, 2026

admin

Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

5 days ago

October 8, 2026

admin

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA,
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

Published

6 days ago

October 7, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.