Concrete

Concrete Show 2016

Published

10 years ago

July 4, 2016

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The yearly event held in Mumbai received good footfalls. One particular highlight was the enhanced participation from Chinese companies.
U BM India organised its yearly event, ?Concrete Show India? from May 19 to 21 at Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre, Goregaon, Mumbai. The show was inaugurated by Chief Guest Eknath Sambhaji Shinde, Cabinet Minister, PWD (MSRDC, Public Undertaking), Government of Maharashtra, along with other key dignitaries like Gajanan Kirtikar ? Member of Parliament; Varun Sardesai- youth leader; S M Ramchandani, Joint Managing Director, Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Ltd (MSRDC); N A Viswanathan, Secretary General, Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA); Dr Manamohan R Kalgal, President, Indian Concrete Institute (ICI) and Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India.

The participants of the event included important players from concrete and construction, construction equipments & IT systems and construction chemicals. The show displayed the latest technologies and developments in the market. It also showcased new product development and innovations from leading companies. In fact, some of the companies launched their new products and services on the occasion. The show has offered a platform to companies like Owens Corning (India) Pvt. Ltd., Master Construction Solutions, Meher Velsycon, Ashtech, Hicrete and many more to showcase their innovations and solutions. The participants of the exhibition this time included around fifty and odd companies from China related with the construction industry. They received a good response from visitors.

The event also had a conference where eminent speakers joined either through panel discussion or lectures. The topics covered were:

New design concepts and methods for long-term performance, robustness with respect to severe environment conditions and loading.
Earthquake safety of homes in India (and understanding the bottlenecks in implementation of earthquake codes). Environmental lifecycle assessment and lifecycle cost analysis of concrete buildings.

Also covered were topics like high-performance concrete application in infrastructure, fortified building codes and community initiatives focusing on disaster resistance and adaptive reuse.
The speakers included Dr Harshvardhan Subbarao, P Y Manjure, Dr Himanshu Raje, Ashutosh Ranjan, Vijay Kulkarni and Dr V V Nori.

Sustainable Cement
An interesting topic for cement companies was the participation of the Indo-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for ?Sustainable Cement & Concrete in India, Italy?s Knowhow and Experience? The speakers included Ugo Ciarlatani, Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, Mauro Mariani, Commissioner, Italian Trade Commission (Mumbai Office), L Rajashekhar, Chairman, Technical Committee, Indian Cement Manufacturers Association, V Rajesh, Zuari Italcement Group India Pvt Ltd, Nidhi Dixit, Managing Partner, ArcAllusions Architects. It was announced that consultancy would be offered on ?Green certification? of the products to Indian industry.

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

2 hours ago

September 21, 2026

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Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

2 hours ago

September 21, 2026

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The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.

Concrete

Cement Firms to Invest Rs. 130 bn in Green Energy by FY28

Cement companies plan to expand clean energy capacity to 6 GW by FY28

Published

4 days ago

September 17, 2026

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India’s major cement companies are set to raise their clean energy capacity to 6 GW by March 2028 from around 4 GW at the end of March 2026, according to ratings agency ICRA. The planned expansion is expected to involve investments of Rs. 130 bn over the next two years.

The additional capacity could generate annual savings of Rs. 62 bn to Rs. 67 bn, resulting in an estimated payback period of 1.8 to 2.2 years. Cement is an emission-intensive industry, and leading producers have established net-zero roadmaps covering the next 15 to 20 years.

The calcination process accounts for 57 to 60 per cent of the sector’s total emissions, while fuel combustion contributes 27 to 30 per cent and electricity consumption accounts for 10 to 13 per cent. ICRA said the figures highlighted the need for a broad decarbonisation strategy involving green power, blended cement, alternative fuels and improvements in clinker efficiency.

Green energy is considered one of the most commercially attractive decarbonisation options because it can reduce emissions while lowering operating costs. Every 5 per cent increase in green power replacement can reduce power and fuel costs by Rs. 15 to Rs. 16 per tonne. A 25 per cent replacement level could therefore save Rs. 75 to Rs. 80 per tonne and expand operating margins by 140 to 160 basis points.

Cement producers are also assessing carbon capture, utilisation and storage, although high implementation costs, energy requirements and limited transport and storage infrastructure are expected to slow commercial adoption. The government has proposed Rs. 200 bn over five years to support deployment across key sectors. Meanwhile, companies are targeting thermal substitution rates of 10 to 15 per cent over the next three to five years, compared with the current industry level of around 6 per cent.