Economy & Market

In Anticipation of Growth Momentum

Published

9 years ago

December 31, 2017

admin

NCB’s ’15th International Seminar on Cement, Concrete and Building Materials’witnessed nearly 1,000 delegates congregate in New Delhi to deliberate on cement, concrete and construction technologies. Stakeholders opined that India had what it would take to assume a leadership role in the global cement business.

It was half past nine in the morning and long queues had already formed at all the registration counters in New Delhi’s sprawling Manekshaw Centre. The waiting crowd, which was growing in numbers with each passing minute, patiently waited to register itself for the biennial National Council for Cement and Building Materials’ – better known by its acronym NCB – ’15th International Seminar on Cement, Concrete and Building Materials’.

Sometime this year, India would overtake the UK and France to become the world’s fifth largest economy in dollar terms, data released by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) has predicted. In the past couple of years, the country is back in the reckoning as one of the principle emerging powerhouses of the global economy. But even then, it is rare to come across such overwhelming response to an event catering to a highly-specialised industry.

NCB, the country’s apex body for research, technology development and transfer, education and industrial services in cement, allied building materials and construction industries, started the initiative as early as 1986. Over the years, it has emerged as an important event in South and South-East Asia, attracting a diverse range of stakeholders from the cement and construction space. The four-day seminar was held in the second week of December 2017.

"The objective of this event, eagerly awaited by the industry and the academia alike, is to bring together the captains of the industry and engineering community, on to a common platform for sharing the knowledge on latest innovations and taking India’s growth story forward," noted Ashutosh Saxena, Director General (Acting), NCB.

Notable developments in the areas of Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials (AFRM), climate change, emissions control, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), ready mix concrete, nanotechnology, etc., were thoroughly discussed. A technical exhibition held simultaneously complemented the forum by providing ready insights into the latest in available technologies and services for efficient operation of cement plants, preparation of concrete and construction activities. A total of 86 firms showcased a diverse range of products and services in automation, instrumentation, grinding, pyro processing, coolers, AFRM utilisation and quality control.

A variety of topics ranging from manpower planning, use of raw materials and AFRM and latest developments in equipment technology were covered at the seminar. Two special technical sessions were also organised. The first, on the subject of ‘Formation and Control of Dioxins in Dry Pre-heater or Pre-calciner Kilns Co-Processing Wastes’, was addressed by the world-renowned expert on pollution and waste management, Dr Kare Helge Karstensen of the Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research (SINTEF), Norway. Dr Karstensen spoke about the formation and control of dioxins in pre-heater and pre-calciner kilns burning waste materials. The second technical session was a panel discussion on ‘Low Carbon Transitions for the Cement and Concrete Sector, a Global Partnership Approach’. It was moderated by Philippe Fonta, Managing Director, Cement Sustainability Initiative, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). Speakers included Sanjay Jain, AED, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, Sivaram Krishnamoorthy, International Finance Corporation (IFC), South Asia and Berthold Kren, Head, Geocycle India. The panel deliberated on means to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.

This edition saw participation by nearly 1,000 delegates. INDIAN CEMENT REVIEW has learned that over 10 per cent of the delegates were from abroad. The nearly 200 papers presented in the 25 technical sessions at the seminar touched upon new research and innovations in cement, concrete and construction technologies. Over the years, the event has also become the primary platform for the Indian cement industry to discuss recent developments, identify new areas of research, and brainstorm on developing and emerging trends.

Most delegates sounded very satisfied with the event. Rakesh Sharma, Director, AMCL Machinery Ltd, said, "The NCB provides an interesting forum for people from across the cement industry to converge in one place. The opportunity to see the latest developments leaves you wiser at the end of the day." Rajesh Pathak, Director, Sales & Operations, Raymond Bartlett Snow opined, "It makes sense to come here and interact not only with your peers but also potential customers. One also gets to experience firsthand the latest technical knowhow available in the market. It’s an excellent opportunity to share ideas as well as learn from entrepreneurs from all over the globe."

Poised for significant expansion
Today, India is the world’s second largest producer of cement. As per the Government’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and analytics agency CRISIL data, the total installed production capacity for cement in the country stood at over 435 million tonnes (MT), in June 2017. The industry presently produces 280 MT for meeting the domestic demand and 5 MT for export. Even while agreeing that reduced capacity utilisation was affecting the overall efficiency of the production process, NCB’s Saxena emphasised, "The present government is trying to do a lot for development of the housing sector and infrastructure. Therefore, I am very optimistic that within the next six months to one year, the cement industry will get back on course."

The federal Government’s emphasis on infrastructure projects such as focus on affordable housing, construction of roads and highways, development of 100 Smart Cities, interlinking of 60 rivers and development of inland waterways is expected to help the industry grow between 6 to 7 per cent in the 2017-18 fiscal.

The country’s per capita consumption stands at around 225 kg. The domestic consumption of cement is likely to exceed supply over the next three years. The cement industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5 to 6 per cent between financial year 2017-20. Moreover, the sector also plays an important role in job creation as it employs over a million people directly or indirectly.

Industry insiders point out the fact that the Indian cement industry is very proactive in adopting new technologies that provides it with a huge advantage over competition. Sunil Potdar, Managing Director, Schenck Process Solutions India Pvt Ltd, said, "From our perspective, cement plants in India are run very efficiently and that happens by virtue of the entrepreneurs being technically very savvy, with a lot of them directly involved in technical decision making, which ultimately works to their benefit."

Observed Thomas C Dannemiller, CEO, SABIA, "India is key because it is next to China as the biggest market. India, if it chose to, could export cement. And India is the place where we could learn to stand up to China. In order to do that we need to modernise the Indian cement industry." He urged the industry to aggressively imbibe IT, big data analytics and artificial intelligence if it wanted to attain to the top spot.

At 67 per cent, the housing sector consumes the lion’s share of cement produced in the country. Infrastructure (13 per cent), commercial construction (11 per cent), and industrial construction (9 per cent), are the other major consumers of the commodity. Moreover, with an expenditure of around $427 billion, India is the fourth largest construction market globally. A joint report by KPMG and real estate body National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) has said that the country would climb to the third spot by 2030.

According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a trust managed by the Department of Commerce, India’s leading 20 cement manufacturers account for almost 70 per cent of its total production. Interestingly, 188 large cement plants alone account for 97 per cent of the country’s total installed capacity, while 365 small plants account for the rest. Of these large cement plants, 77 are located in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Foreign fund inflow for manufacturing of cement and gypsum products reached $5.24 billion between April 2000 and June 2017, reveals government data. The FDI inflows in cement and gypsum product sector increased significantly from $19.69 million during 2015-16 to $2130 million during 2016-17. Ready availability of raw materials and limestone makes the country further attractive to overseas investors.

Experts aver that in the coming years, India’s eastern states could drive the demand for cement. They also believe that over the next 10 years, India could become the main exporter of cement to developing economies.

Further, the impending growth holds an opportunity for homegrown equipment makers. Affirmed Mayank D Kamdar, Marketing Director, Lilanand Magnesites Pvt Ltd, "In terms of opportunities, as many new cement plants have come up, and several more are in the pipeline, this offers a good opportunity for refractory manufacturers to introduce more efficient products. Since China’s output has been declining internationally, it’s a good time for the Indian refractory manufactures to start exporting." He felt that the Indian equipment makers have the potential to become major global players.

Key challenges persist
In August 2017, tropical cyclone Hurricane Harvey resulted in production shutdowns at oil and gas refineries in the US, with in turn also hit pet coke supplies. Since several Indian cement firms rely on imported pet coke, they ended up paying more for it and this was reflected in their second quarter results for the 2017-18 fiscal. Moreover, cement manufacturers are apprehensive that if the present surge in global crude oil continues, it could result in further hardening of pet coke prices. Some manufacturers had to shell out more towards raw material costs after a sharp increase in slag prices. Meanwhile, freight costs have also risen due to higher diesel prices.

In October last year, the Supreme Court banned use of pet coke and furnace oil in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan in view of the spike in pollution levels in the National Capital Region (NCR). However, in December, the apex court gave relief to industries like cement, lime stone and thermal power plants by permitting the federal government to modify the ban notification. The court also asked states and union territories to consider a ban on pet coke.

Reacting to the calls an embargo on pet coke use, Saxena said, "Refineries within Indian and world over generate huge quantities of pet coke and other waste materials. The cement industry has upgraded technology and its operational skills to utilise even the low volatile content pet coke with several benefits. There is a substantial saving in coal consumption as it is directly substituted by pet coke." He added that because of the low ash content in pet coke, the cement industry could utilise low grade limestone. Similarly, the fear that that pet coke burnt in boilers releases lot of sulphur into the atmosphere, was unfounded as the intrinsic chemistry of the process ensured that a substantial portion of the sulphur present in pet coke reacted with the calcium carbonate content of the limestone to convert it into calcium sulfate or gypsum. "As for the release of sulphur dioxide, there are wet scrubber and other technologies available to take care of the emission," said Saxena.

Adequate utilisation of AFRM is another challenger before the industry. Speaking to the magazine on the sidelines of the event, Ashok Kumar Dembla, President and Managing Director, Customer Service Center India, KHD Humboldt Wedag International, strongly recommended that materials such as stubble burnt by farmers in large parts of Punjab and Haryana could instead be used as fuel in cement kilns with proper regulatory support. Similarly, preparation of municipal and chemical waste could also go a long way in reducing the industry’s dependence on coal. "Several European countries use 60 per cent of waste materials as fuel. But in India, on an average, it is not more than 10 per cent. There are bottlenecks in terms of handling, government support and interest from entities that generate waste," rued Dembla.

But using AFRM requires manufacturers to put appropriate systems in place. Advised Sunil Kumbhar, Manager Projects, ATS Conveyors India Pvt Ltd, "Cement manufacturers want an assured supply of fuel. However, since you cannot rely on a single source if you are using AFRM, one must be flexible about accepting all alternatives and prepare the cement plant accordingly."

Stakeholders point out that despite the government giving certain relaxation to cement manufacturers on environmental guidelines, they were presently in a quandary on the level of expenditure they could incur on their expansion plans, even while incorporating the best possible environment-friendly technologies. "They are also trying to convince the government to move slowly while implementing stringent environmental norms, because they are facing problems of higher production costs and improving overall sales," said Dembla.

Due to the increasing demand in various sectors, the Indian cement industry is expected to reach 550-600 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) by the year 2025. But industry insiders believe that with restoration of the growth momentum in the economy, the sector might do even better. Echoing this sentiment, Mogen Fons, Managing Director, FONS Technology, remarked, "For several years I’d been repeatedly telling myself that the Indian market will surely pick up the following year before I stopped doing that. Now I say that though the boom here won’t be like what we saw ten years ago in China, it is certainly coming!"

– MANISH PANT

Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas, CleanMax Partner for Wind-Solar Hybrid Project in Rajasthan

Published

9 hours ago

September 29, 2026

admin

The project – comprising 20 MW of wind and 26.4 MWdc of solar capacity – will support Nuvoco’s cement operations with cleaner power while strengthening its renewable energy and decarbonisation strategy.

Mumbai, September 29, 2026

Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, part of Nirma Group and one of India’s leading cement companies, has partnered with Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions Limited (CleanMax), a renewable energy solutions provider for the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, to develop a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid renewable energy project in Rajasthan.

The project will support Nuvoco’s cement operations with cleaner power while strengthening its renewable energy and decarbonisation strategy. It is expected to increase the share of renewable energy in Nuvoco’s power mix, reducing fossil fuel consumption and associated emissions.

Developed by CleanMax, an Independent Power Producer (IPP), at Bhikamkhore, Rajasthan, the project will comprise 20 MW of wind capacity and 26.4 MWdc of solar capacity, along with a 2-MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Power generated from the facility will be supplied to Nuvoco through the State Transmission Utility (STU) Open Access network.

The hybrid project is expected to generate approximately 100 million units (MU) of renewable electricity annually and help avoid around 1,25,485 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year across Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

The initiative supports Nuvoco’s ongoing efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of its manufacturing operations through renewable energy adoption, Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), energy-efficiency measures and increased use of alternative fuels. It also aligns with the company’s DIRE (Digitalisation, Innovation and Renewables) agenda, which focuses on climate action, renewable energy transition, water stewardship, circularity and biodiversity conservation across its manufacturing ecosystem.

Commenting on the initiative, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, said, “This marks an important step in advancing Nuvoco’s journey towards more sustainable and resilient operations. Our collaboration with CleanMax will increase the share of renewable energy across our Rajasthan operations, strengthening our energy mix while improving long-term cost efficiency and reducing our dependence on conventional power sources. Initiatives such as these reinforce our commitment to operational excellence and responsible growth, while supporting our vision of Building a Safer, Smarter and Sustainable World.”

Kuldeep Jain, Founder and Managing Director, CleanMax, said, “Cement plants run continuously, so the power behind them has to be dependable for decades, not years. We’re seeing manufacturing industries view clean energy as an integral part of their core operations and long-term strategy. Our partnership with Nuvoco reflects that shift, and we’re pleased to support its decarbonisation journey. This wind-solar hybrid project is designed to deliver long-term cost certainty while supporting the Company’s transition to cleaner power.”

Nuvoco has been advancing its sustainability initiatives through renewable energy, operational efficiency and technology-driven solutions. The company operates across Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete (RMX) and Modern Building Materials (MBM) segments, with a presence across East, North and West India.

The company began operations in 2014 with a greenfield cement plant in Nimbol, Rajasthan, and later acquired Lafarge India Limited, which entered India in 1999, along with Emami Cement Ltd in 2020 and Vadraj Cement Limited in April 2025. With planned expansion initiatives, including a new grinding mill at the Arasmeta Cement Plant and multiple debottlenecking projects, Nuvoco aims to achieve a cement capacity of 35 MMTPA.

The company reported total income of Rs 113.62 billion in FY 2025-26, reflecting its continued growth trajectory. Its cement portfolio includes Concreto, Duraguard, Double Bull, PSC, Nirmax and Infracem brands, while its RMX business offers products under Concreto, Artiste, InstaMix, X-Con and Ecodure brands. Nuvoco also provides construction solutions under its Zero M range of modern building materials.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement achieves 100% green energy milestone at Chhattisgarh plant

Published

11 hours ago

September 29, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement’s Kukurdih Works becomes its first integrated unit to meet 100 per cent electricity needs through green energy every month.

Raipur (Chhattisgarh)

UltraTech Cement Limited, the world’s largest cement company outside China, has achieved a significant decarbonisation milestone, with its Kukurdih Cement Works integrated unit in Chhattisgarh meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through green energy every month since April 2026.

Commissioned in 2024, Kukurdih Cement Works has an installed grey cement capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum. The unit achieved this milestone through a combination of renewable power sourcing and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), which now collectively meet its entire electricity demand while ensuring operational reliability.

Since April 2026, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements. Five units, including Kukurdih, have exceeded 95 per cent green energy utilisation. The company is also progressively deploying Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across its network to enable deeper renewable energy integration.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech has not invested in additional captive thermal power capacity for greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for over a decade.

As of Q1FY27, the company’s captive green energy capacity stood at 1,897 MW, comprising 1,463 MW of renewable energy capacity from solar, wind and hybrid sources, along with 434 MW of WHRS capacity. Under its RE100 commitment, UltraTech aims to increase the share of green power in its total energy mix to 85 per cent by 2030 and achieve 100 per cent by 2050.

UltraTech Cement Ltd, the cement flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, is a $10-billion building solutions company and the largest cement producer globally by sales volume outside China. The company has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement/putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. It is a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the Net Zero Concrete roadmap announced by GCCA.

Economy & Market

From First Mile to Last Mile

Published

2 days ago

September 28, 2026

admin

Praveen Vashistha, Founder, Gxpress Solutions, speaks about building a holistic logistics network that encompasses latest technology and current challenges faced by logistics service providers.

Logistics may seem to only entail transporting a package from one location to another. However, there is more to this term than just that. Logistics refers to the entire process of controlling all movement, transfers and decisions in the correct way at the right time and cost and with the desired level of visibility.

People nowadays want to receive more than just the delivery. They want quick, efficient, reliable and transparent logistics service. On the other hand, companies are facing higher operating costs, broken supply chains, congested cities, changing habits of consumers and growing complexity of logistics services. In this situation, a full logistics package is gaining importance not only as a competitive advantage but also as a necessity for a successful business.

The main challenge lies in uniting the first mile, the middle mile and the last mile into one seamless process.

The journey begins before the package moves

First-mile logistics may be the least recognised part of the logistics chain, but they have a crucial influence on all that follows.

This stage starts from the moment the shipment leaves the manufacturer, supplier, farm, warehouse or distribution centre. Depending on the industry, first-mile logistics may involve grouping shipments from multiple suppliers, compiling paperwork and checking the inventory before sending the shipments to a central hub.

Flaws in first-mile logistics produce effects later down the supply chain. Delays in cargo pickup can affect warehouse operations; improper packaging can damage goods in transit; and incorrect inventory information may cause stockholding or unnecessary replenishments.

This is why building a reliable network involves simplifying the operations done at the beginning of the supply chain.

Companies require accurate demand forecasts, supplier visibility, standard procedures, and software to capture information from the moment a shipment enters the supply chain. Route planning and fleet management are also important at this stage, especially as it may involve contacting multiple suppliers.

The main goal is simply to make the first mile predictable.

The middle mile: Where scale meets complexity

When products leave the original site, they travel through the ‘middle mile,’ which connects fulfilment centres, warehouses, sorting centres, and regional distribution points. In this phase, logistics networks begin operating on a large scale. A shipment can pass through several facilities before reaching the final destination. Each additional transfer entails the risk of delay or damage and information losses. Accordingly, the ideal solution is not to minimise the number of transfers but rather to optimise them. The use of hub-and-spoke networks, regional distribution centres, and strategically placed distribution centres can help companies shorten transportation routes and optimise distribution costs. Besides, data can be used to determine the optimal placement of inventories.

For instance, a retailer may find that it takes more time and is more expensive to deliver goods to customers if everything is stored in a central warehouse. Meanwhile, regional distribution helps meet the customer’s needs quicker and more efficiently.

The last mile is where the customer judges you

When it comes to the logistics experience, the customer experience comes down to the delivery. While the last mile might comprise a small part of the entire journey in actual distance, it could also entail expensive and difficult processes. Delivery runs through densely populated cities, through traffic jams, through unsuccessful delivery attempts, and through changing consumer preferences and narrowed time frames.

Customers want to have control over their delivery. Delivery means that customers expect to know the exact moment when their order is delivered. They need to receive current updates about their orders and the ability to decide whether they want scheduled deliveries, or whether they want their order to be dropped off at a designated location far from their house.

As a result, last-mile logistics must incorporate both efficiency and experience. The technology may be used to ensure timely and accurate delivery, through such products as route optimisation and real-time delivery tracking.

However, technology is not enough to guarantee success in terms of last-mile delivery. Knowledge of the local area is still an important aspect that contributes to successful delivery.

One network, not three separate operations

First, the common mistake that organisations can make is treating the first mile, the middle, and the last mile separately.

An effective first mile of logistics does not matter much if the shipment waits in a hub for many hours. A perfectly working warehouse does not make a happy customer if the last-mile delivery fails. Therefore, even the fastest last-mile delivery can become an expensive operation if the supply is not well geographically positioned.

The three moments should work together as one whole system.

This implies having a common view on inventory, transport capacities, shipment statuses and demand. The Transportation Management System, Warehouse Management System and order management system should give information to each other instead of acting like separate islands.

That is where real-time information comes into play!

If something happens, such as a vehicle gets delayed, the company has to know that from the start. If not, someone from Customer Service should be informed about the situation.

Visibility is the new infrastructure

Previously, companies had to rely on physical assets, such as warehouses, trucks, and sorting facilities, to create their logistics networks. Today, they have an additional layer of technology providing visibility.

Command-and-control systems now include GPS tracking, Internet of Things devices, bar-coding, RFID, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and analytics, which allow companies to know what the goods are doing, how well they are doing, and what is going to happen next.

Predictive analytics reveal possible delays. AI-powered forecasting increases availability. Digital dashboards enable the manager to monitor all operations in one place. The efficiency of such technologies is not measured in the amount of information they gather, but rather in their capability of converting data into knowledge.

Logistics managers should be able to answer the following questions: Where is it? When is it supposed to arrive? What causes the delay? What impact does it have? Can it be delivered some other way? How much will it cost?

The sooner the answers are given, the more resilient the logistics system is.

Resilience must be designed into the network

The events of recent years have highlighted the vulnerability of interconnected supply chains. Geopolitical tensions, bad weather, a lack of labour, poorly developed infrastructure and an unexpected spike in demand are some events that can cause problems for logistics systems without prior notice. Thus, companies should create an end-to-end network not just for normal times but also capable of functioning quickly in problematic situations. In order to create such a network, it is necessary to find alternative suppliers, use several means of transportation, create several routes of delivery, and establish inventory. It is also important to use scenario planning to define what to do if the main hub becomes unavailable or any means of transportation is blocked.

Sustainability: Part of the delivery equation

The future of logistics will also be shaped by environmental considerations.

As delivery volumes rise, businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce emissions without compromising service. Better route planning, load optimisation, electric vehicles, alternative fuels, renewable-energy-powered warehouses and consolidated deliveries can all contribute. The most sustainable shipment is often the one that does not require unnecessary movement in the first place.

Better demand forecasting and inventory placement can reduce empty miles and avoid repeated transportation. Consolidating deliveries can improve vehicle utilisation. Reverse logistics can ensure that products, packaging and materials return efficiently instead of becoming waste.

Sustainability, therefore, should not be treated as a separate initiative. It should be incorporated into network design itself.

The future belongs to connected logistics

An end-to-end logistics network ultimately seeks to close existing gaps between various processes.

Every mile of the process should be interconnected with the other miles. Warehouses should be aware of the restraints imposed by transportation. Delivery crews should be able to know at every moment the inventory at their disposal. Clients must have access to this useful information.

Companies that will be successful in this area will not necessarily be the ones with the biggest fleets or the most warehouses. They will simply be the ones that can employ their resources in the most effective manner.

The future of logistics will be represented by an ecosystem consisting of the combination of the physical aspect, digital intelligence, and personnel decisions. Every mile in the process of delivery is important. However, the key advantage here is getting those miles to work together.

For companies, it means having minimal resistance, enhancing their efficiency and improving customer care. For clients, it means simply having the right product delivered at the right time.

About the author: Praveen Vashistha, Founder, Gxpress Solutions,