Economy & Market

Power-Packed Event

Published

10 years ago

September 30, 2016

admin

The ?Big 5 Construct India 2016? was held in Mumbai from Sept 28th to 30th. The fourth edition had focused on affordable housing and green building best practices.

Local and international institutional representatives and industry leaders from the construction fraternity were seen at the ?Big 5 Construct India 2016?. There were 150 exhibitors from 15 countries who brought the latest technologies, solutions and building materials to the visitors this year. The exhibition offered opportunities to capitalise on India?s growing focus on construction and infrastructure. It hosted over 300 brands.

Product showcase
For the first time this year, H&R Johnson, a division of Prism Cement, showcased end-to-end lifestyle solutions covering tiles, sanitary ware and bath fittings, engineered marble and quartz, as well as modular kitchens and furniture. Jyoti Sharma, H&R Johnson?s spokesperson, said, "The building materials industry which we belong to is likely to be a major beneficiary of several new government initiatives like infrastructure development, ?Housing for All?, the Swachh Bharat initiative, and the Accessible India campaigns. In this exhibition, we showcased our products and innovations to several Indian and international construction industry professionals, beyond gaining new leads for business."

Manufacturers of geo-synthetic materials showcased products and related applications in the construction sector in India. A wide range of products like non-woven geo-textiles, paving fabrics, high strength woven polyester geo-textiles, knitted and polymeric coated polyester geo-grids, reinforced non-woven composites, fibre glass grids, pre-fabricated vertical drains, and extensive applications in road building were showcased here.

These products enable owners, consultants and contractors to design and develop reliable, cost-effective and easy-to-construct solutions for a wide range of landscaping, geo-technical, transportation, hydraulic and other applications.

Focused sessions
Green buildings took centre-stage in the conferences and workshops that were held at the event. According to Akash Deep, Programme Manager at GRIHA Council and speaker at The Big 5 Construct India 2016, "Green buildings are growing at a very fast pace in India. With policies from the government to promote such initiatives, both developers and the common public are looking for sustainable solutions."

Expert speak
Ashutosh Bhardwaj, Director-Corporate Affairs at the Construction Industry Development Council, said, "The key driver for the Indian economy at the moment is infrastructure. We need to build smart and build fast." Bhardwaj presented a CPD-certified workshop on ?Skill Development: Building the Backbone of Indian Construction Industry?. According to him, "On-site training, certification of skills, differential rewards for the skilled and unskilled workers, skill upgradation for growth and personal advancement, and continuous audit of skills, are some of the enablers which will contribute to the development of the construction industry in India." Event Director, Ashley Roberts, said, "The main attraction of the exhibition this time were the seminars and conferences held on various issues, from project management to BIM, LEED, and other green building certification systems. Visitors were able to access over 20 CPD certified workshops on these topics, free of cost." The workshops enabled participants to understand the principles and ethos of green buildings. The sessions provided examples from different parts of the country presenting the challenges and outcomes achieved by various projects, ranging from small-scale bungalows to large neighbourhood level projects. There were workshops on eco-friendly materials, exploring the role of landscapes in green building constructions, and technologies available, along with use of energy simulation tools for efficient design, etc.

Affordable homes
Pankaj Wadhawan, CEO, Blueshift Institute of Real Estate and Finance, spoke on the sources of financing and financing trends for affordable housing, construction and infrastructure businesses. The workshop helped the participants learn about the role of the finance function and various traditional and sophisticated financial instruments used in raising capital.

"The market is in a very challenging stage currently. While there is a huge housing shortage with consumers willing to buy affordable houses, only very few construction and real estate companies are able to provide the matching product," said Wadhawan. The main reasons for the shortage can be researched in the lack of suitable land availability, high raw material cost, and slow pace of new infrastructure development to make alternate land parcels attractive for affordable housing, Due to this, most of the market at the lower end of the pyramid of affordable housing remains unaddressed. According to a recent report, launches in the affordable housing sector grew by almost 100 per cent in FH1 of 2016. This is an encouraging sign, pointed out Wadhawan.

The event was backed by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), Government of India, and co-organised by dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa, and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The Big 5 Construct India 2016 also enjoyed the support of other leading trade bodies and associations. These included the Builders Association of India (BAI), the Indian Association of Structural Engineers (IAStructE), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Association of Consulting Civil Engineers (ACCE), the Consulting Engineers Association of India (CEAI), the Indian Building Congress, and Liases Foras Real Estate Research and Rating.

There were international exhibitors from countries like Turkey, Italy, the UK, UAE, Russia, Iran, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Singapore, Thailand, and Germany, among others.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

16 hours ago

October 9, 2026

admin

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

2 days ago

October 8, 2026

admin

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

2 days ago

October 7, 2026

admin

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.