Economy & Market

Situation for business in the coming years will improve

Published

11 years ago

May 31, 2015

admin

Rupesh Kumar Agrawal,
Proprietor, R.K. Enterprises, Jharkhand.
ICR is constantly in contact with cement dealers, who are vital link in business process between cement producers and the end users. A dealer understands the market better than any one else through financial transactions. In view of the new government in place for nearly a year, a tax regulation like that of GST on threshold and mega mergers, acquisitions happening in the cement industry, a dealer becomes a crucial channel member to provide insights on various aspects referred above. Here are their responses.
R.K. Enterprises operating at Ramgarh Cantonment area of Jharkhand. Agarwal is a multi brand retailer selling around 1500 tonne of cement every month. Along with cement he is agent for Berger Paints and Exide inverter batteries. The cement brands he is selling are Ambuja, Lafarge, UltraTech, Relaince, Dalmia and Jai Prakash. He is of the opinion that this year the volume of sale is lower than that of last year but he is quite hopeful that it will pick in the coming months. He is of the opinion that the new government in the centre needs to be given some time to settle. Situation for business in the coming years will improve. Agarwal mainly caters to the IHB (individual house builder) segment of market, which predominantly slag cement market. OPC 43 and 53 grade cement is exclusively given to projects by the companies. He delivers up to 50 km radius. The material delivery is prompt and on time either by road or by rail. For lat twenty years he follows computerised billing system. We welcomes new technologies. On GST he is more than willing to accept it. New cement companies are coming like Binani, Star. Then the merger of Holcim and Lafarge happening but that will not reduce the competition on the other hand it will increase.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

2 hours ago

April 13, 2026

admin

The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

3 hours ago

April 13, 2026

admin

TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

3 hours ago

April 13, 2026

admin

Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.