Technology

Innovation is the key

Published

13 years ago

October 31, 2012

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Consolidating as a leading manufacturer of cement and concrete, Lafarge looks forward to being a role model when it comes to innovative technology and sustainability.

Lafarge entered the Indian market in 1999, through its cement business, with the acquisition of Tata Steel’s cement activity followed by the purchase of the Raymond Cement facility in 2001 and currently the company has four cement plants in India, two in Chhattisgarh and grinding units in Jharkhand and West Bengal.

In recent years, Lafarge has significantly enlarged its operations across its three business divisions – cement, aggregates and concrete. The company has an established presence across all major cities and towns in India and is known as the market leader in the ready-mix concrete business with over 80 plants, following its acquisition of L&T Concrete.

Lafarge in cement

Lafarge Cement is one of the leading players in Eastern and Central India. The company produces high performance blended cements in Portland Slag Cement (PSC) and Portland Pozzolona Cement (PPC) variants. The long-standing international experience and wide diversity provides much needed expertise while understanding the essential properties of cement and its premium quality.

The company manufactures three products in cement:

Concreto smartwash: This cement is suitable for exteriors as well as interiors. With minimum investment, the smart wash technique gives the user a terrazzo floor look-alike finish on the walls. Smartwash requires no painting at all. Application of a coat of silicon paint makes the wall resistant to water ingress and washable.

Duraguard: Duraguard build a home that lasts a lifetime. The strength and longevity of cement depends on its granular composition along with its chemical constituents.

Portland slag cement

Portland slag sement is available in the major markets of East India and is well accepted and appreciated by the consumers for its superior product quality and consistency.

Lafarge in concrete

Lafarge serves the concrete requirements of small and large contractors, builders, architects, developers and individuals and has over 68 ready mix concrete plants in 35 cities. With innovative technologies, the company has come up with various types of concrete which are as follows Hydromedia: Hydromedia is a permeable concrete pavement combining the durability of concrete with the environmental benefits of permeable surfaces. It can be used to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff and reduce the heat island effect.

Artevia: Artevia is a range of decorative concrete that combines design and performance, offering a rich colour palette, incomparable textured effects and infinite freedom of design.

Lightweight concrete: Mortar mix of lighter weight contributes to reduction of cost to overall structural design.

Mega PP fiber concrete: This fiber concrete reduces labour, required to place and plastic shrinkage control mesh and removes the potential risk of corrosion os steel crack control mesh.

Research centre: Lafarge’s research is closely linked to the needs and specifications of the markets where the group operates. Lafarge has put into place an international R&D network, which includes a research center near Lyons, France and technical centers and laboratories around the world for the development and industrialisation of solutions at local level. The company dedicates more than 120 million euros per year to research, product development and industrial performance and process improvement. This investment is significantly higher than that of other players in the sector.

The company has four technical centres for cement located in:

Vienna, Austria, and Lyon, France, serving Europe (Europe Technical Center – ETC).
Montreal, Canada, serving the Americas (Corporate Technical Services – CTS). The CTS has a branch in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.
Beijing, China, serving Asia (Asian Technical Center – ATC). The ATC has a branch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Cairo, Egypt, serving Africa and the Middle-East (Cairo Technical
Center – CTC).

Lafarge also has a number of concrete development laboratories, which work in close partnership with the Lafarge Research Center to carry out testing to adapt new products to local market conditions.

The group opened two labs dedicated to construction development, one in Lyons and the other in Chongqing, China. A third of those labs were opened in 2012 in Mumbai. These laboratories support the Group’s international R&D international network, and allow an even more local approach to the construction markets. They also allow the development of new systems and solutions fitting perfectly with the needs of the field.

Lafarge on sustainability

The group is convinced that sustained economic growth cannot occur without social progress, environmental protection and respect for local communities. Also the company launched Sustainability Ambition 2020. The 34 new quantitative targets are organised around the three main pillars of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental.

Lafarge’s 34 ambitions include three major ambitions to be achieved by 2020.
Reducing CO2 emissions per ton of cement by 33 per cent compared to 1990 levels.
Usage of 50 per cent of non-fossil fuels in cement plants by 2020 including 30 per cent of biomass.
20 per cent of concrete containing reused and recycled materials.

Technology

ARAPL Reports 175% EBITDA Growth, Expands Global Robotics Footprint

Affordable Robotic & Automation posts strong Q2 and H1 FY26 results driven by innovation and overseas orders

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

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Affordable Robotic & Automation Limited (ARAPL), India’s first listed robotics firm and a pioneer in industrial automation and smart robotic solutions, has reported robust financial results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2025.
The company achieved a 175 per cent year-on-year rise in standalone EBITDA and strong revenue growth across its automation and robotics segments. The Board of Directors approved the unaudited financial results on October 10, 2025.

Key Highlights – Q2 FY2026
• Strong momentum across core automation and robotics divisions
• Secured the first order for the Atlas AC2000, an autonomous truck loading and unloading forklift, from a leading US logistics player
• Rebranded its RaaS product line as Humro (Human + Robot), symbolising collaborative automation between people and machines
• Expanded its Humro range in global warehouse automation markets
• Continued investment in deep-tech innovations, including AI-based route optimisation, autonomy kits, vehicle controllers, and digital twins
Global Milestone: First Atlas AC2000 Order in the US

ARAPL’s US-based subsidiary, ARAPL RaaS (Humro), received its first order for the next-generation Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklift from a leading logistics company. Following successful prototype trials, the client placed an order for two robots valued at Rs 36 million under a three-year lease. The project opens opportunities for scaling up to 15–16 robots per site across 15 US warehouses within two years.
The product addresses an untapped market of 10 million loading docks across 21,000 warehouses in the US, positioning ARAPL for exponential growth.

Financial Performance – Q2 FY2026 (Standalone)
Net Revenue: Rs 25.7587 million, up 37 per cent quarter-on-quarter
EBITDA: Rs 5.9632 million, up 396 per cent QoQ
Profit Before Tax: Rs 4.3808 million, compared to a Rs 360.46 lakh loss in Q1
Profit After Tax: Rs 4.1854 lakh, representing 216 per cent QoQ growth
On a half-year basis, ARAPL reported a 175 per cent rise in EBITDA and returned to profitability with Rs 58.08 lakh PAT, highlighting strong operational efficiency and improved contribution from core businesses.
Consolidated Performance – Q2 FY2026
Net Revenue: Rs 29.566 million, up 57% QoQ
EBITDA: Rs 6.2608 million, up 418 per cent QoQ
Profit After Tax: Rs 4.5672 million, marking a 224 per cent QoQ improvement

Milind Padole, Managing Director, ARAPL said, “Our Q2 results reflect the success of our innovation-led growth strategy and the growing global confidence in ARAPL’s technology. The Atlas AC2000 order marks a defining milestone that validates our engineering strength and accelerates our global expansion. With a healthy order book and continued investment in AI and autonomous systems, ARAPL is positioned to lead the next phase of intelligent industrial transformation.”
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Pune, Affordable Robotic & Automation Ltd (ARAPL) delivers turnkey robotic and automation solutions across automotive, general manufacturing, and government sectors. Its offerings include robotic welding, automated inspection, assembly automation, automated parking systems, and autonomous driverless forklifts.
ARAPL operates five advanced plants in Pune spanning 350,000 sq ft, supported by over 400 engineers in India and seven team members in the US. The company also maintains facilities in North Carolina and California, and service centres in Faridabad, Mumbai, and San Francisco.

Technology

M.E. Energy Bags Rs 490 Mn Order for Waste Heat Recovery Project

Second major EPC contract from Ferro Alloys sector strengthens company’s growth

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

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M.E. Energy Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kilburn Engineering Ltd and a leading Indian engineering company specialising in energy recovery and cost reduction, has secured its second consecutive major order worth Rs 490 million in the Ferro Alloys sector. The order covers the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of a 12 MW Waste Heat Recovery Based Power Plant (WHRPP).

This repeat order underscores the Ferro Alloys industry’s confidence in M.E. Energy’s expertise in delivering efficient and sustainable energy solutions for high-temperature process industries. The project aims to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions by converting waste heat into clean power.

“Securing another project in the Ferro Alloys segment reinforces our strong technical credibility. It’s a proud moment as we continue helping our clients achieve sustainability and cost efficiency through innovative waste heat recovery systems,” said K. Vijaysanker Kartha, Managing Director, M.E. Energy Pvt Ltd.

“M.E. Energy’s expansion into sectors such as cement and ferro alloys is yielding solid results. We remain confident of sustained success as we deepen our presence in steel and carbon black industries. These achievements reaffirm our focus on innovation, technology, and energy efficiency,” added Amritanshu Khaitan, Director, Kilburn Engineering Ltd

With this latest order, M.E. Energy has already surpassed its total external order bookings from the previous financial year, recording Rs 138 crore so far in FY26. The company anticipates further growth in the second half, supported by a robust project pipeline and the rising adoption of waste heat recovery technologies across industries.

The development marks continued momentum towards FY27, strengthening M.E. Energy’s position as a leading player in industrial energy optimisation.

Technology

NTPC Green Energy Partners with Japan’s ENEOS for Green Fuel Exports

NGEL signs MoU with ENEOS to supply green methanol and hydrogen derivatives

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

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NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s ENEOS Corporation to explore a potential agreement for the supply of green methanol and hydrogen derivative products.

The MoU was exchanged on 10 October 2025 during the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. It marks a major step towards global collaboration in clean energy and decarbonisation.
The partnership centres on NGEL’s upcoming Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Andhra Pradesh. Spread across 1,200 acres, the integrated facility is being developed for large-scale green chemical production and exports.

By aligning ENEOS’s demand for hydrogen derivatives with NGEL’s renewable energy initiatives, the collaboration aims to accelerate low-carbon energy transitions. It also supports NGEL’s target of achieving a 60 GW renewable energy portfolio by 2032, reinforcing its commitment to India’s green energy ambitions and the global net-zero agenda.