Economy & Market

The core sector in focus: Mean reversion

Published

7 years ago

January 8, 2020

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Indian economy has shown striking resilience to revert to the mean, although it is early days to make any long term projection. But in the short term, the months of May, June and July have shown results that demonstrate the ability to make an economic recovery despite the headwinds that stem from the propagation of the Coronavirus in almost all corners of India.

It would be prudent to first see the state of the core sector. Monthly Core sector Index (which tracks monthly growth) has moved positively starting from a contraction of 37 per cent in April 2020, to 22 per cent in May and 15 per cent in June. So as we read June numbers it is in fact a recovery of 22 per cent over the steep drop in April, when the core sector Index fell to the crevice in absence of working days for production or sales.

Among the core sector, cement index showed the maximum rebound, from a sharp drop of 85.3 per cent in April 2020 (virtually the entire month the production stopped), May rebounded to 21.4 (negative) and June came back to 6.9 per cent (negative). Negative 6.9 per cent compares with negative 1.9 per cent in June 2019. Among the core sectors, only fertilizer (+4.2 per cent) and crude oil (-6 per cent) has fared better for the month of June.

To see some of the complementary sectors, coal, steel and electricity show some very mixed results. Coal is showing a very steady negative growth hovering around 15 per cent throughout these three months, while steel made a recovery from a steep fall of contraction of 78.7 per cent in April to negative 33.8 per cent in June. Electricity seems to be mode steady in its modest recovery from a contraction of 23 per cent in April to 11 per cent in June.

Core sector production growth has several components to be looked at, including other drivers for example in fertilizer, which due to the onset of the Kharif season coupled with higher distribution with easing of lockdown measures have aided output.

The Oil and natural gas sector have many other issues to contend with like ageing of assets, high prices of end use fuel dampening demand or the structural factors in Natural Gas, where the contraction is a 15 month consecutive phenomenon due to restricted gas off-take by consumers.

Minus the coronavirus, the core sector was showing an upward trend till march, barring a few, although the trend showed dampening due to some structural factors, some of which are related to also demand side of the story.

To project anything forward from this June series would be fraught with risks as we now move to the monsoon season and some sectors will have natural dampening of demand thus taming output, while the virus moves to an unknown trajectory. Some risks are multiplicative, while some are additive, how the economy wades through it will depend on how the economy tackles the virus as part of the economic rebound, not treating it as an exclusion (the treatment cannot be either or).

Construction and infrastructure hold the center piece of the discourse on core sector and this would mean solving the supply side, where labor remains the biggest influence for things to take shape. But actually the solution seems plausible that if those who could be vulnerable to contracting could be segregated and the rest could insulate themselves with a mandatory mask and strict regimen, the activities actually could be brought back to normal, albeit at a slightly reduced level. If the former, segregation through contact tracing and testing, is not well orchestrated among the various constituencies, while the latter, those who should protect themselves do not follow the rules, the combined result will continue to lead to the current trajectory of the virus.

The core sector also must have the solutions to the migrant labor problem, where the activities must reach a threshold to create the reverse movement of skilled labor in larger numbers. This remains a crucial result to watch, could the core sector create its own solutions, this is where some are doing better than the others, which includes solutions for distribution and logistics as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Procyon Mukherjee works as Chief Procurement Officer at LafargeHolcim India. The ideas presented are his personal and have no connection to the beliefs of the company where he works.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

5 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

6 days 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

7 days 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.