Economy & Market

Certainty of growth still not in sight despite boom

Published

8 years ago

June 30, 2018

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Makarand Marathe, Director, Cement Division, Thyssenkrupp Industries India (tkII)

Makarand Marathe, Director, Cement Division, Thyssenkrupp Industries India (tkII) believes that even as India’s demand for cement shows signs of gradual recovery, equipment makers need to prepare themselves to engage with an increasingly discerning customer.

What are some of your most recent areas of focus?
Primarily, what we can offer to the industry, the entire gamut of pyro processing and grinding technology. Now, in terms of pyro processing, apart from new generation Preheater, and Cooler, we can talk about the and Waste Heat Recovery system. As far as grinding is concerned, we have a well proven high pressure grinding roll for raw material grinding in "finish mode". We can also offer competitive, energy efficient, "semi-finish" operating circuits. These are some of the areas that we are focusing on right now. As far as the most recent trends in cement are concerned, if you take grinding, people are no longer looking at Blaine or 7 to 20 days’ strength. They are looking at early strength generation and residues on 45 microns. This is something that can be achieved through innovative circuits and new separators that we have launched. Finally, it is about creating value for the customer who is examining different options to penetrate the market and we have to support him.
Any innovative products in the pipeline for 2018?
We have come out with a roller driven vertical mill, which has already been installed in a number of plants worldwide. It’s the new generation QUADROPOL series roller mill. This is a new product and when you talk of high Blaine cements, especially when you talk of 3,800 plus kind of Blaine, this is the product that we wish to offer. But I must admit it is not immediately on the cards. However, it will be one of the options to offer to the Indian customer by end 2018. Presently, we are working on the cost economics and we are hopeful that we can offer a product which will be affordable as the Indian clientele is very discerning and likes to evaluate the return on investment.
How much of your R&D is in India?
Most of our R&D activities are centralised in Germany since we already have a huge set-up there. In India, we have a small facility catering to our other verticals.
As we speak, do you perceive any paradigm shifts taking place in the cement business?
The cement business in India needs some stabilisation because already huge capacity addition had taken place during the 1990s and 2000s. So, all that capacity needs to be used up. Today the industry is running at about 65-70 per cent of its utilisation. And even if you take about 6 to 7 per cent growth in GDP and 8 to 10 per cent in the cement demand, it will still take about three years to catch up with the installed capacity.

Even if you take the utilisation up to 90 to 95 per cent, we still have two to three years to go. It’s only thereafter that the push for new investments will come in. Of course, this is the economist’s view. But if you look at the economic reality, large cement manufacturers who have the financial muscle to make investments and acquisitions, will scout for new projects because they will get the best bargains from suppliers. They will be ready for the boom time in two to three years because a cement project takes about 24 months to be completed. So, I don’t see any big shift in terms of business generation, but definitely the growth will be solid. Since the government is the biggest spender as far as cement is concerned, it has announced plans for road construction, housing, etc. Therefore, this 8 to 10 per cent demand for cement is expected to sustain. The market will not move into the boom mode yet but there will surely be growth.

And how is technology redefining the contours of the business?
Digitalisation has come into the cement business. Discussions with some of our customers have revealed the change in attitudes in the business. Fifteen years ago, with everything being done manually, nobody spoke about laboratory automation. Now everything has changed and people are looking at robotised lab as a significantly important option to have in a plant. Take Wonder Cement for instance. The company demands a premium in the market because it has lab automation in place, which helps it monitor parameters, mineralogical phases, physical properties and cement quality. This view and vision has definitely come in and is going to stay. Even if it is adding some additional cost per bag, manufacturers are demanding that additional premium and getting it.
So, where do you see things headed in the near and the medium term?
We will surely pursue projects but we also have to come up with something innovative. We have to address the environmental issues in terms of SOx and NOx emissions. There have to be new alternate fuels to be tried and we have to come out with solutions where more and more alternate fuels can be used as our substitution rate has to go up. At 5-10 per cent, India has one of the poorest substitution rates in the world. That has to increase up to 15-20 per cent and machinery manufacturers have to come out with solutions. This is something that we have to address. So, I would say that the business will definitely grow and there will be more innovative options available. Clients too would be asking questions in terms of energy efficiency and product quality.

MANISH PANT

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

7 days ago

October 9, 2026

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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.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

1 week ago

October 8, 2026

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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.”

Concrete

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

Published

1 week ago

October 7, 2026

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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.