Economy & Market

HOUSING FOR ALL

Published

8 years ago

December 30, 2017

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What’s in store for cement?
Analysts across spectrum estimate that if only 25 per cent of houses are substituted, then the total incremental cement requirement per annum will be around 10 MT.
Housing for All by 2022 (HFA-22) is the flagship project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Pranab Mukherjee, in his address to the joint session of Parliament on June 9, 2014, had announced that "by the time the nation completes 75 years of its independence, every family will have a pucca (permanent) house with water connection, toilet facility, 24×7 electricity supply and access". In order to achieve this objective, the central government launched a comprehensive scheme called Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) – HFA-22. The scheme received cabinet approval in June 2015, and since then has been taking shape for faster execution.
Based on the recent activities of the government, industry experts believe the scheme is finally picking up pace and there may be a big jump in execution than what it was witnessed in the past. In this story, ICR has analysed the construction target of the government, likelihood of actual construction versus target and what is in store for the cement sector if the scheme is implemented on time. The story also analyses which states stand to benefit from this scheme and in turn which cement companies will be the beneficiaries.Increase in demand
Analysts expect incremental cement demand at 3.76 per cent per annum from the ‘Housing for All’ scheme. Based on the calculations in respect of total investment and number of housing units to be constructed under the scheme, cement players expect incremental cement demand to the extent of around 10 MT to be generated, translating into a growth of 3.76 per cent per annum. However, given the fact that cement demand growth of only 4 per cent to 5 per cent coming in from normal housing and infrastructure segments, the total cement demand growth is unlikely to touch double digits despite assumption of full scale implementation of ‘Housing for All’ scheme. Therefore, while the contribution from ‘Housing for All’ scheme is significant, it will not help the cement industry to achieve higher capacity utilisation by FY20.
To this, Pushpraj Singh, Chief Marketing Officer, JSW Cement, says, "On the back of ‘Housing For All’ scheme, we expect cement growth of about 7 to 8 per cent in the times to come." He added: "So if you see the CAGR of the industry, it has not been positive. It has been almost stabilised at whatever level it was for the last five years in South. If you look at the Eastern and the Northern regions, there has been significant growth. Combined, we expect about 6 to 7 per cent growth in the overall cement market in India."Technology
Since affordable housing require fast pace work completion, in this situation, Manju Yagnik, Vice Chairperson, Nahar Group, suggests precast construction as a cost-effective method for affordable housing. "It’s a fast and sustainable building technology for large housing projects that doesn’t compromise on quality," Yagnik says. Precast is a standard building system based on ready-made, factory-manufactured elements and intelligent connections. It provides how to style and construct an ample range of appropriate homes to fulfill the requirements of city dwellers in an exceedingly affordable timeframe and at an affordable price. Such new technologies will help boost the supply faster for affordable housing at a reasonable price. Ashok Mohanani, Chairman and Managing Director, Ekta World, believes that Indian property developers are adopting international strategies like pre-fabricated construction, dry-wall techniques, and slip-form construction for quick development. However, he thinks there’s a need to cut back the value of procurement of recent technological instruments and alternative products and materials. "Value engineering and rationalisation of the overhead costs can facilitate the sector vastly in bringing down the value of affordable housing units," he suggests. 32 million housing units on the card
The government had earlier constituted a technical group to ascertain actual urban housing shortfall in India. In a report published in 2012, the group estimated urban housing shortage at 18.8 million units. For the rural segment, the government recently outlined a scheme wherein it will build 13.2 million houses with the help of state governments and some contribution from the beneficiaries. This adds up to total housing requirement of around 32 million dwelling units (DU) by 2022. Meanwhile, total investment of $246 billion to achieve HFA-22 objectives, which means much higher private sector participation is required.What’s in for the cement sector?
Nirmal Bang, an equity research company based in Mumbai, assumed of
32 million units with an average area of Rs 400 per sq ft at an average construction cost of Rs 250 per sq ft. Nirmal Bang has estimated how much incremental cement demand HFA-22 can generate. The method they have used is based on the total investment and cement intensity of the project. Real estate developers that they connected believe that each housing unit will cost on an average Rs 1,250 per sq ft. Out of this, total construction cost is Rs 700 per sq ft and cement cost is
Rs 100 per sq ft. This tallies with general cement requirement of 20 kg per sq ft for construction of individual housing units. The key challenge in estimating the incremental cement demand and to understand how much this HFA- 22 construction will substitute individual house building in the country. Even if industry estimates that if only 25 per cent of houses are substituted, then total incremental cement requirement per annum will be 10 MT. This is a sizable addition to cement demand at 3.76 per cent.
However, ICICI Securities estimates differ from Nirmal Bang. As per ICICI Securities, even if one estimates only 20 per cent of houses to be constructed under PMAY get completed by 2022, assuming average size of the house 270 sq ft and 18 kg of cement requirement per square feet, it will give total cement requirement of approximately 27 MT by FY22.Companies to benefit
Based on the earlier success of housing construction, analysts believe that PMAY – rural has more potential in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Cement companies with higher exposure in the eastern and central regions (like UltraTech Cement, Shree Cement, Dalmia Cement and Birla Corporation) will benefit from the same. Under PMAY – urban scheme, states like Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra will stand to benefit. Companies with higher exposure to the southern region (like Dalmia Cement, Ramco Cements and India Cements) will benefit from the same.
It is expected that the share of infrastructure in overall cement demand would increase from the current 18-20 per cent to 22-24 per cent over the next five years, led by increased government spend. Over the last few years, weak macroeconomic environment along with several regulatory issues have impacted spending on infrastructure. However, increase in project announcement along with pick-up in execution suggests a sign of revival in the sector.
In addition, with general elections approaching in the next 18 months, it is expected that the project execution pace to improve further. Within infrastructure spends, industry expect roads and highways, railways, metros, airports, irrigation and urban infrastructure to drive higher growth. Analysts estimate a huge 160-190 MT potential cement demand from planned government infrastructure projects.
That said, India’s 17 states are expected to go for assembly election by FY20, which has likely consumed approximately 142 MT (around 50 per cent of cement demand) of cement in FY17. Five states in FY19 and nine states in FY20 are expected to go for state election.The disparity
Housing shortage in India is experienced by lower income group, which makes subsidy model redundant Housing schemes in the past have failed as the subsidy model doesn’t work, because the income level of homeless people is so low that they cannot afford to build a house even with the help of subsidy from the government. Based on studies conducted by the government, the housing need arises from the congestion in the house rather than homelessness.
Based on the government studies, around 80 per cent of total requirement comes from congestion in the house, which means the number of married couples in the house is more than the number of rooms available. This is a common phenomenon in urban areas, and because of the same, slum redevelopment projects take a huge time to take off as the density of population living in the area is high.
Moreover, the studies further highlight that 96 per cent of total requirement is from people coming under economic weaker section and lower income group categories. The definition of economic weaker section then was household with income below
Rs 5,000 per month and the same for lower income group was income between
Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 per month. This clearly shows that interest subvention scheme is not likely to address the housing problem as the income bracket of population facing housing shortage will have affordability issues.Progress of PMAY
As of now, 35 MoAs have been signed with 30 states and 5 union territories;
4,317 cities (472 Class I cities) have been selected in 35 states and union territories for inclusion under the scheme. Till now, the government has considered 7,474 projects for construction of 37 lakh houses for the economic weaker section in 35 states and union territories involving central assistance of Rs 2 lakh crore.
Meanwhile, of the Rs 57,000 crore central assistance, Rs 13,149 crore as a part of the first installment has been released to the concerned states against approved projects. As per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, at present only 3 lakh dwelling units have been constructed so far and another around 13 lakh housing units are under construction.
The industry has added cement capacities at 10.2 per cent CAGR over past decade; while demand clocked about 6.2 per cent CAGR. This has led to increase in surplus capacities from 34 MT (14 per cent of total capacity) in FY10 to 129 MT (31 per cent of capacity) in FY17. Utilisation levels also declined from peak of 98 per cent in FY07 to 69 per cent by FY17. Krupal Maniar, CFA, ICICI Securities, believes that up-cycle would be slow, gradual and elongated as we expect capacity addition at 3-4 per cent CAGR over next five to six years.
Increasing greenfield plant capex cost and rising entry barriers (like mine auction, regulatory clearances) are unlikely to push supply additions significantly. ICICI Securities expect cement demand to clock approximately 6 per cent CAGR (still lower than/in-line with GDP growth), resulting in gradual but steady improvement in utilisations over next five to six years. The Government focus on rural economy and higher infrastructure spends is likely to improve demand for the sector. Accordingly, Dharmesh Shah, Research Analyst, ICICI Securities, says "we expect utilisation to improve gradually by 500 bps to 74 per cent in FY20E."More M&A deals in the offing
The cement industry has seen some consolidation in recent years due to rising overcapacity, longer gestation periods (in securing various government/environment clearances, acquiring land), higher costs (elevated land costs) and issues relating to debt servicing. Some of the key deals have been UTCEM acquisition of JPA cement assets, Nirma’s acquisition of Lafarge cement business in India, and Birla Corp’s acquisition of Reliance Cement. The due diligence for ACC-ACEM merger is also on. Binani Cement and Murli Industries are under NCLT restructuring with Dalmia Bharat recently announcing the acquisition of Murli Industries.– RAHUL KAMAT

Concrete

PROMECON introduces infrared-based tertiary air measurement system for cement kilns

Published

18 hours ago

May 20, 2026

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The new solution promisescontinuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations.

PROMECON GmbH has launched the McON IR Compact, an infrared-based measuring system designed to deliver continuous, real-time tertiary air flow measurement in cement plant operations. The system addresses the longstanding process control challenge of accurate tertiary air monitoring under extreme kiln conditions. It uses patented infrared time-of-flight measurement technology that operates without calibration or maintenance intervention.

Precise tertiary air measurement is a critical requirement for stable rotary kiln operation. The McON IR Compact is engineered to function reliably at temperatures up to 1,200°C and in the presence of abrasive clinker dust. Its vector-based digital measurement architecture ensures that readings remain unaffected by swirl, dust deposits or drift. Due to these conditions conventional measurement systems in pyroprocess environments are often compromised.

The system is fully non-intrusive and requires no K-factors, recalibration or periodic readjustment, enabling years of uninterrupted operation. This design directly supports plant availability and reduces the maintenance overhead typically associated with process instrumentation in high-temperature zones.

PROMECON has deployed the McON IR Compact at multiple cement facilities, including Warta Cement in Poland. Plant operators report that the system has aided in identifying blockages, optimising purging cycles for gas burners, and supplying accurate flow data for AI-based process optimisation programmes. The practical outcomes include more stable kiln operation, improved process control, and earlier detection of process disturbances.

On the energy side, real-time tertiary air data enables reduction in induced draft fan load and helps flatten process oscillations across the pyroprocess. This translates to lower fuel and energy consumption, fewer unplanned shutdowns, and a measurable reduction in NOx peaks. This directly reflects on the downstream cost implications for plants operating SCR or SNCR systems for emissions compliance.

Concrete

Filtration Technology is Critical for Efficient Logistics

Published

6 days ago

May 15, 2026

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Niranjan Kirloskar, MD, Fleetguard Filters, makes the case that filtration technology, which has been long treated as a routine consumable, is in fact a strategic performance enabler across every stage of cement production and logistics.

India’s cement industry forms the core for infrastructure growth of the country. With an expected compound annual growth rate of six to eight per cent, India has secured its position as the second-largest cement producer globally. This growth is a result of the increasing demand across, resulting in capacity expansion. Consequently, cement manufacturers are now also focusing on running the factories as efficiently as possible to stay competitive and profitable.
While a large portion of focus still remains on production technologies and capacity utilisation, the hidden factor in profitability is the efficiency of cement logistics. The logistics alone account for nearly 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the total cost of cement, making efficiency in this segment a key lever for profitability and reliability.
In the midst of this complex and high-intensity ecosystem, filtration often remains one of the most underappreciated yet essential enablers of performance.

A demanding operational landscape
Cement production and logistics inherently operate in some of the harshest industrial environments. With processes such as quarrying, crushing, grinding, clinker production, and bulk material handling expose the machinery to constant high temperatures, heavy loads, and dust, often the silent destructive force for engines.
The ecosystem is abrasive, and often one with a high contamination index. These challenging conditions demand equipment such as the excavators, crushers, compressors, and transport vehicles to perform and perform efficiently. The continuous exposure to contamination across every aspect like air, fuel, lubrication, and even hydraulic systems causes long-term damage. Studies have also shown that 70 to 80 per cent of hydraulic system failures are directly linked to contamination, while primary cause of engine wear is inadequate air filtration.
For engines as heavy as these, even a minor contaminant has a cascading effect; reducing efficiency, performance and culminating to unplanned downtime. Particles as small as 5 to 10 microns, far smaller than a human hair (~70 microns), can cause significant damage to critical engine components. In an industry where margins are closely linked to operational efficiency, such disruptions can significantly affect both cost structures and delivery timelines.

Dust management: A persistent challenge
Dust is a natural by-product in cement operations. From drilling and blasting in the quarries to packing in plants, this fine particulate matter does occupy a large space in operations. Dust concentration levels in quarry and crushing zones often create extremely high particulate exposure for equipment. These fine particles, when enter the engines and critical systems, accelerates the wear and tear of the component, affecting directly the operational efficiency. Over time every block fall; engine performance declines, fuel consumption rises, and maintenance cycles shorten. In this case, effective air filtration is the natural first line of defence. Advanced filtration systems are designed to capture high volumes of particulate matter while maintaining consistent airflow, ensuring that engines and equipment operate under optimal conditions.
In high-dust applications, as in cement production, even the filtration systems are expected to sustain performance over extended periods without the need of frequent replacement. This becomes crucial in remote quarry locations where access to frequent maintenance may be limited.

Fluid cleanliness and system integrity
Beyond air filtration, fluid systems also play a crucial role for equipment reliability in cement operations. Fuel systems are required to remain free from contaminants for efficient working of combustion and injection protection. Additionally, lubrication systems also need to maintain the oil purity to reduce friction and prevent any premature wear of moving parts. The hydraulic systems, which are key to several heavy equipment operations, are especially sensitive to contamination.
If fine particles or water enters these systems, it can lead to reduced efficiency, erratic performance, and eventual failure of the system. Modern filtration systems are designed with high-efficiency media capable of removing extremely fine contaminants, with advanced fuel and oil filtration solutions filtering particles as small as two to five microns. Multi-stage filtration systems further ensure that fluid performance is maintained even under challenging operating conditions.
Another critical aspect of fuel systems is water separation. Removing moisture helps prevent corrosion, improves combustion efficiency and enhances overall engine reliability. Modern water separation technologies can achieve over 95 per cent efficiency in removing water from fuel systems.

Ensuring reliability across the value chain
Filtration plays a critical role across every stage of cement logistics:
• Quarry operations: Equipment operates in highly abrasive environments, requiring strong protection against dust ingress and hydraulic contamination.
• Processing units: Crushers, kilns, and grinding mills depend on clean lubrication and cooling systems to sustain continuous operations.
• Material handling systems: Pneumatic and mechanical systems rely on clean air and fluid systems for efficiency and reliability.
• Transportation networks: Bulk carriers and trucks must maintain engine health and fuel efficiency to ensure timely deliveries.
Across these operations, filtration plays a vital role; as it supports consistent equipment performance while reducing the risk of unexpected failures.
Effective filtration solutions can reduce unscheduled equipment failures by 30 to 50 per cent across heavy-duty operations.

Uptime as a strategic imperative
In cement manufacturing, uptime is currency. Downtime not only delays the production, but it also greatly impacts the supply commitments and logistics planning. With the right filtration systems, contaminants are kept at bay from entering the
critical systems, and they also significantly extend the service intervals.
Optimised filtration can extend service intervals by 20 to 40 per cent, reducing maintenance frequency while maintaining consistent performance across demanding operating conditions. Filtration systems designed for heavy-duty applications sustain efficiency throughout their lifecycle, ensuring reliable protection with minimal interruptions. This leads to improved equipment availability, lower maintenance costs, and more predictable operations, with well-maintained systems capable of achieving uptime levels of over 90 to 95 per cent in challenging cement environments.

Supporting emission and sustainability goals
With the rising environmental awareness, the cement industry too is aligning with the stricter norms and sustainability targets. In this scenario, the operational efficiency is directly linked to emission control.

Air and fuel systems that are clean enable
much more efficient combustion. They also reduce emissions from both the stationary equipment and transport fleets. Similarly, with a well-maintained fluid cleanliness, emission systems function better. Poor combustion due to contamination can increase emissions by 5 to 10 per cent, making clean systems critical for compliance.
Additionally, efficient and longer lasting filtration systems significantly reduce any waste generation and contribute to increased sustainable maintenance practices. Extended-life filtration solutions can reduce filter disposal and maintenance waste by 15 to 20 per cent. Smart and efficient filtration in this case plays an important role in meeting the both regulatory and environmental objectives within the industry.

Advancements in filtration technology
Over the years, there has been a significant evolution in the filtration technology to meet the modern industrial applications.
Key developments include:
• High-efficiency filtration media capable of capturing very fine particles without restricting flow
• Compact and integrated designs that combine multiple filtration functions
• Extended service life solutions that reduce replacement frequency and maintenance downtime
• Application-specific engineering tailored to different stages of cement operations
Modern multi-layer filtration media can improve dust-holding capacity by up to two to three times compared to conventional systems, while maintaining consistent performance. These advancements have transformed filtration from a basic maintenance component into a critical performance system.

Adapting to diverse operating conditions
The cement industry of India operates across diverse geographies. Spanning across regions with arid regions with higher dust levels, to the coastal areas with higher humidity, challenges of each region pose different threats to the engines. Modern filtration systems are thus tailored to address these unique challenges of each region.
Indian operating environments often range from 0°C to over 50°C, with some of the highest dust loads globally in mining zones.
Additionally, filtration technology can also be customised to variations which then align the system design with factors like dust load, temperature, and equipment usage patterns. Equipment utilisation levels in India are typically higher than global averages, making robust filtration even more critical. This approach ensures optimal performance and durability across different operational contexts.

Impact on total cost of ownership
Filtration has a direct and measurable impact on the total cost of ownership of equipment.
Effective filtration leads to:
• Lower wear and tear on critical components
• Reduced maintenance and repair costs
• Improved fuel efficiency
• Extended equipment life
• Higher operational uptime
Effective filtration can extend engine life by 20 to 30 per cent and reduce overall maintenance costs by 15 to 25 per cent over the equipment lifecycle. These benefits collectively enhance productivity and reduce lifecycle costs. Conversely, inadequate filtration can result in frequent breakdowns, increased maintenance expenditure, and reduced asset utilisation.

Building a more efficient cement ecosystem
With the rising demand across various sectors, the cement industry is expected to expand at an unprecedented rate. This growth is forcing the production to move towards a more efficient and resilient system of operations. This requires attention not only to production technologies but also to the supporting systems that enable consistent performance. Filtration must be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a routine consumable. By ensuring the cleanliness of air and fluids across systems, it supports reliability, efficiency, and sustainability.

The road ahead
The future of cement logistics will be shaped by increasing mechanisation, digital monitoring, and stricter environmental standards. The industry is also witnessing a shift towards predictive maintenance and condition monitoring, where filtration performance is increasingly integrated with real-time equipment diagnostics.
In this evolving landscape, the role of filtration will become even more critical. As equipment becomes more advanced and operating conditions more demanding, the need for precise contamination control will continue to grow. From quarry to construction site, filtration technology underpins the performance of every critical system. It enables equipment to operate efficiently, reduces operational risks, and supports the industry’s broader goals of growth and sustainability. In many ways, it is the unseen force that keeps the cement ecosystem moving, quietly ensuring that every link in the value chain performs as expected.

About the author
Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director, Fleetguard Filters, is focused on driving innovation, operational excellence, and long-term business growth through strategic and people-centric leadership. With a strong foundation in ethics and forward-thinking decision-making, he champions a culture of collaboration, accountability, and technological advancement.

Concrete

Cement’s Next Fuel Shift

Published

6 days ago

May 15, 2026

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Jignesh Kindaria highlights how Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) is emerging as a critical lever for cost savings, decarbonisation and competitive advantage in the cement industry.

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.
According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.
Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The regulatory push is real
The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.
Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian waste is a different engineering problem
Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.
The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a made-in-India answer
At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.
Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.
Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The investment case is now
The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.
The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.
The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.
The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About the author
Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.