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Smart Green Building Materials

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It is necessary to demystify the concept of green and sustainable housing, writes Anil Banchor.

India ranks second as the country with the largest number of green buildings after the US. Most of the Indian projects have demonstrated through their simplicity that green buildings and sustainable construction are not complex or high-tech ventures. In particular the retrofitting of old buildings demonstrates that it is an easy procedure which can be replicated with ease to transform scores of old buildings in the country?s cities and towns.

The difference in a green building is in the approach to its design, which focuses on a concern for extending the life span of natural resources; reducing operating costs such as for use of energy and water; providing human comfort, safety and productivity. Other typical features would include the use of non-toxic, recycled and environmental friendly building materials.

Analysts estimate the differential cost to be no more than 3-5 per cent. If you factor in savings of 25-30 per cent in the water and electricity consumption bill in an average green building in India, the additional expense is not just recovered within five years but such buildings can be profitable.

In spite of these facts most green buildings in India are non-residential commercial structures concentrated in a few of the big cities and the common man still sees such homes as a luxury. Therefore, it is necessary to demystify the concept of Green and Sustainable Housing.

There are several smart green building materials which are cost effective and long lasting available for the modern home owner which would help them build or rebuild their homes, as a more eco-friendly and sustainable habitat. Traditional construction materials now have greener and smarter substitutes such as:

Replace natural sand with finely powdered crystalline silica made from rejected limestone. It helps in replacing natural sand usage in concrete and plastics. It also ensures a comparatively denser concrete than those made only with natural sand and quarry fines resulting in a significant increase in compressive strength and durability. Using this alternative also aides in preserving natural reserves and protecting the environment.

Replace clay bricks with a more eco-friendly, technically superior, fly ash-based composition. They are superior in quality than any other bricks available in the market in terms of strength, water absorption, efflorescence and various other parameters. Apart from the quality and mechanical properties, fly ash-based bricks are energy and resource efficient bricks produced using cleaner production techniques and reduce carbon footprints.

The third important component is concrete, the versatility of which is yet to be properly explored. It can be customised to serve several purposes. Some of these are: Let concrete weather-proof your house: A mix of concrete which makes use of Portland Cement to a higher extent with cement materials without replacing any other important properties has a higher durability compared to OPC against external weathering loses. This special composition increases the concrete?s resistance to sulphates, reduces chloride ion penetration, and improves resistance to aggressive environments.

Concrete can now be used to beautify: Concrete need not always be mundane, it can be printed or stamped for making decorative surfaces on porch, paving, footpath and walkways. Whether, the driveway to a garage or a poolside private access path, this product can help add a new colour to a mundane surroundings.

Concrete can self-drain water: High performance concrete is available which is porous within its body to permit water drainage to lower surface, thus improving ground water table. It allows drainage of water, the large pores present in the no-fines concrete allow easy drainage in to ground under appropriate conditions. It helps keep the area dry and clean and prevents warm and polluted water from entering our streams. It enables more efficient land developments.

Concrete can reduce your electricity bills: Concrete is now designed to provide thermal comfort in the premises. A layer of customised concrete can be applied over the top layer of the roof slab, so that the heat or cold is not directly allowed inside the building. This kind of arrangement keeps the building cool in summer and warm in winters. The trapped insulation in the concrete layer provides a bed for energy control in the cement. Energy consumption is reduced to a great extent due to this mechanism.

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Economy & Market

Hindalco Buys US Speciality Alumina Firm for $125 Million

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This strategic acquisition marks a significant investment in speciality alumina, a key step by Aditya Birla Group’s metals flagship towards becoming future-ready by scaling its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco Industries, the world’s largest aluminium company by revenue and the metals flagship of the $28 billion Aditya Birla Group, has announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in US-based AluChem Companies—a prominent manufacturer of speciality alumina—for an enterprise value of $125 million. The transaction will be executed through Aditya Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary.

This acquisition represents a pivotal investment in speciality alumina and advances Hindalco’s strategy to expand its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco’s speciality alumina business, a key pillar of its value-added strategy, has delivered consistent double-digit growth in recent years. It has emerged as a high-growth, high-margin vertical within the company’s portfolio. As speciality alumina finds expanding applications across electric mobility, semiconductors, and precision ceramics, the deal positions Hindalco further up the innovation curve, enabling next-generation alumina solutions and value-accretive growth.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, called the acquisition an important step in their global strategy to build a leadership position in value-added, high-tech materials.

“Our strategic foray into the speciality alumina space will not only accelerate the development of future-ready, sustainable solutions but also open new pathways to pursue high-impact growth opportunities. By integrating advanced technologies into our value chain, we are reinforcing our commitment to self-reliance, import substitution, and building scale in innovation-led businesses.”

Ronald P Zapletal, Founder, AluChem Companies, said the partnership with Hindalco would provide AluChem the ability and capital to scale up faster and build scale in North America.

“AluChem will benefit from their world-class sustainability and safety standards and practices, access to integrated operations and a consistent, reliable raw material supply chain. Their ability to leverage R&D capabilities and a talented workforce adds tremendous value to our innovation pipeline, helping drive market expansion beyond North America.”

An Eye on the Future

The global speciality alumina market is projected to grow significantly, with rising demand for tailored solutions in sectors such as ceramics, electronics, aerospace, and medical applications. Hindalco currently operates 500,000 tonnes of speciality alumina capacity and aims to scale this up to 1 million tonnes by FY2030.

Commenting on the development, Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, said the deal reinforced their commitment to innovation and global expansion.

“As alumina gains increasing relevance in critical and clean-tech sectors, AluChem’s advanced chemistry capabilities will significantly enhance our ability to serve these fast-evolving markets. Importantly, it deepens our high-value-added portfolio with differentiated products that drive profitability and strengthen our global competitiveness.”

AluChem adds a strong North American presence to Hindalco’s portfolio, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes across three advanced manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Arkansas. The company is a long-standing supplier of ultra-low soda calcined and tabular alumina, materials prized for their thermal and mechanical stability and widely used in precision engineering and high-performance refractories.

Saurabh Khedekar, CEO of the Alumina Business at Hindalco Industries, said the acquisition unlocked immediate synergies, including market access and portfolio diversification.

“Hindalco plans to work with AluChem’s high performance technology solutions and scale up production of ultra-low soda alumina products to drive a larger global market share.”

The transaction is expected to close in the upcoming quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

 

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Concrete

Shree Cement reports 2025 financial year results

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Shree Cement posted revenue of US$2.38 billion for FY2025, marking a 5.5 per cent decline year-on-year. Operating costs rose 2.9 per cent to US$2.17 billion, resulting in an EBITDA of US$528 million—down 12 per cent from the previous year. Net profit fell 50 per cent to US$141 million. The company reported cement sales of 9.84Mt in Q4 FY2025, a 3.3 per cent increase from 9.53Mt in Q4 FY2024, with premium products making up 16 per cent of total sales.

Image source:https://newsmantra.in/

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Concrete

Rekha Onteddu to become director at Sagar Cements

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Sagar Cements has announced the appointment of Rekha Onteddu as a non-executive independent director, effective 30 June 2025. According to People in Business News, Rekha Onteddu is currently serving in a similar capacity at Andhra Cements, the parent company of Sagar Cements.

Image source:https://sagarcements.in/

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