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Going green

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Cement players who will showcase their abilities to go green will have the advantage in the long term – both in operational efficiencies as well as stock valuations, says Vaibhav Agarwal of PhillipCapital.

We attended a two-day conference organised by the INDIAN CEMENT REVIEW in Mumbai to discuss future opportunities and the way ahead. The agenda was to discuss the implications of infrastructure development on cement demand, space for opportunities such as composite cement, and most importantly, how the industry can reduce its carbon footprint. The conference was followed by an awards ceremony where leading personalities and companies were felicitated for their contribution to the sector.

Dalmia Bharat, JK Cement, JK Lakshmi Cement, Deccan Cement and NCL Industries were some of the corporate awardees and Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to MH Dalmia (OCL), Yadupati Singhania (JK Cement), PR Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha (Ramco Cement) and Umesh Shrivastava (Holtec Consulting).

The key takeaways are:
A step forward to convert itself to a SMART manufacturing sector, making the sector Sustainable, Measurable, Agile, Responsible, and technology-oriented, was the key agenda.
Conserving natural resources such as limestone, coal, minerals and lowering the carbon footprint was the underlying theme.
Consolidation will continue and entry barriers are now very strong.
It was emphasised that every manufacturer needs to identify its competitive edge for survival. Players who are able to differentiate themselves on operating parameters will be the new leaders in the industry.
Many newcomers may find it difficult to establish their mark and will be the eventual targets.

Composite cement is the next new thing
Composite cement means manufacturing cement through a mix of clinker (35-65 per cent), slag (20-50 per cent), and fly ash (15-35 per cent). With lower clinker factor, this will mean significant reduction in thermal energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, as well as preservation of natural resources. Research on this subject conducted by the industry showcases that the limestone requirement can come down to 0.60x per tonne of clinker (vs 1.43x currently for OPC) and carbon emission and energy consumption parameters can be lower by 58 per cent.

However, given that slag is not widely available across all parts of the country, adaptability of this new product by the industry is debatable.

Industry focus is utilisation ramp-up
None of the manufacturers present talked of capacity expansions. Even the newcomers present were cautious about giving guidance on capex. All understood that sufficient capacity is available in the sector and the immediate focus is only utilisation ramp-up with a firm and stable pricing environment.

Our takeaways:
Companies that are innovative and focused on efficiency improvement will have the advantage over players who lack these skill-sets (Dalmia Bharat leads the pack here).
Industry is cautious about overcapacity and no material incremental capex announcements will be made before the end of FY18.
Going green is the next big agenda for the industry and players who will showcase these abilities will have the advantage in the long term – both in operational efficiencies as well as stock valuations.
We understand that Dalmia Bharat is an industry leader in such green initiatives in the sector. Some of its internal targets give us the confidence that this thrust will prevail at Dalmia Bharat.

They include: (a) to be water positive in every plant by 2017; (b) 0.515 tonne of target carbon emission (0.526 currently, 0.66 industry) and (c) to rely on only renewable energy by 2030.

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Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication 

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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. 

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Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

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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.”

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Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

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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.

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