Economy & Market

We at Reliance Cement have tried to break the clutter by taking the position of perfection

Published

11 years ago

May 31, 2015

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Rajesh Sarada, Vice President (National Head) – Marketing, Reliance Cement

CSR plays a very important role in building the corporate image building and right to do business. says Rajesh Sarada, Vice President (National Head) – Marketing, Reliance Cement. Excerpts from the interview.

What has been the perceptible shift in the concept of creating a ?brand?, and how it is applicable in your case?
Cement is a commodity and brand plays a very important role in positioning of the product in consumers mind. Cement is correlated to strength and many companies position their product around strength or durability. Very few companies have positioned their product away from strength. We at Reliance Cement have tried to break the clutter by taking the position of "Perfection". Reliance Cement is perfect in all areas be it quality, durability, strength or after sales services. We are also developing perfect partnership with our channel partners and other stakeholders.

Which feature / characteristic / USP of the product are you trying to highlight through your advertisement and why?
Reliance as a brand is well established and therefore it does not need any introduction. Our only challenge was to communicate to the customers that Reliance has also entered into cement sector and offering a better product and services to its consumers. Our main focus is to create consumer awareness through strong presence on point of purchase i.e. retail counters with support of print, radio and outdoor media. We do exist strongly with on-ground activities like participating in melas, haats, etc.

Reliance Cement comes in a innovative packaging which is weather proof and temper proof. We guarantee our consumers that the cement they purchase is fresh and unadulterated. Our another USP is the UPSD technology which ensures higher strength and optimum setting time.

What segment of market you cater to?
Our focus is primarily on trade segment. We sell around 80 per cent of our production in trade market i.e. IHB segment and about 20 per cent in institutional segment. Our customer service team helps the IHB segment on designs, lay outs, budget, planning and other related issues of home building. Our packaging for both trade and institutional segment is different to avoid any infiltration. Institutional segment is primarily concerned on the delivery schedule and on properties of the product. Branding does not influence the buying decision of this segment.

How do you rate your brand positioning / tag lines in terms of differentiating a product and creating value?
Like I mentioned earlier, we have positioned our cement as "Ek Perfect Cement" i.e. perfect in terms of quality, strength, durability, and after sales services. Perfect cement builds a Perfect home. Our value proposition to customers is fresh and unadulterated cement which come in tamper proof and weather proof packaging, fast setting time for faster construction, and on-site mobile testing van and expert services to ensure construction quality and good construction practices.

How do you plan your product promotion?
We look at 360 degree approach for product promoting. Mass media like print, radio and outdoor are broadly used to promote our brand. We also carryout BTL activities like participation in local melas and haats which attracts lot of footfalls. However, our major focus is on point of sales i.e. Retail counters to enhance our visibility at the outlet thru dealer boards, in-shop branding, POPs, etc. Our other major focus is on the influencers segment like masons, contactors, engineers and architects. We conduct various meets with the masons and contractors to improve their skills and impart them with best construction practices. Also we conduct conferences and seminars for engineers and architects at all our locations to keep them updated with latest in industry like sustainability and green initiatives.

To what extent does CSR impact branding? How?
CSR plays a very important role in building the corporate image building and right to do business. We carryout lot of activities around our cement plants in terms of education, health services, water conservation, promote self help groups for livelihood/employment generation, etc. The programs are done by our own team and in few cases in collaboration with recognised NGOs.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

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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

3 days ago

October 8, 2026

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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

4 days ago

October 7, 2026

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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.