Concrete

Core sectors output grew marginally by 0.1% in Jan 2021

Published

6 years ago

March 5, 2021

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In January 2021, the eight core sectors output grew marginally by 0.1 per cent compared with 0.2 per cent in December 2020 and 2.2 per cent in the corresponding month last year. The growth in the last two months has been positive albeit anaemic and to some extent this reflects weakness in the physical production. There has been a broad based decline across all sectors except fertilisers, steel and electricity. The core sector output for December 2020 has been revised upwards from -1.25 per cent to 0.2 per cent.

The cumulative index of eight core sector during April-January 2021 registered a de-growth of 8.8 per cent on account of the nation-wide lockdown imposed in March which adversely impacted the industrial production compared with positive growth of 0.8 per cent in the corresponding period last year. All sectors except fertilisers contracted during this period. Double digit contraction was registered in natural gas, refinery, steel and cement.

Key highlights

Coal production contracted by 1.8 per cent registering de-growth for the first time in the last five months, primarily on account of a high base effect.

Crude oil production fell by 4.6 per cent in January 2021. Technical mishaps due to COVID-19 implications, reservoir issues and shut in of wells and delays in field development activities have led to the fall in production. Domestic production has been falling with the ageing of existing fields and muted response from the industry to take up new projects, mainly due to lack of adequate incentives. Moreover, higher import of crude oil and limitations on domestic exploration have weighed on the crude oil production.

Natural gas production contracted by 2 per cent in January 2021 mainly due to a fall in output of a major gas producer/explorer. Though it continued to remain in the negative territory there has been a sequential improvement in output compared with -7.2 per cent growth in the previous month.

Refinery production fell by 2.6 per cent in January 2021. Refinery production continued to remain in the negative territory for the 11th consecutive month. However, refinery capacity utilisation for the month was 105 per cent and it has been improving with each passing month indicating that the economy is slowly reflating and getting back to normalcy.

Fertilisers production registered a growth of 2.7 per cent in January 2021. Increase in fertilizer production can be ascribed to build-up of stocks by companies and increase in production of Complex fertilizers and DAP. The demand for these fertilizers is usually high during the rabi season.

Steel output grew by 2.6 per cent after contracting over November-December 2020. Higher automotive sales, robust demand from rural segment on the back of good monsoon and government spending on infrastructure has led to faster ramp up in production levels.

Cement output registered a de-growth of 5.9 per cent in January 2021. Slow pick up in institutional government projects is the key reason for this fall.

Electricity production grew by 5.1 per cent registering positive growth for the 5th consecutive month as a result of recovery in business sentiment and services.

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Going ahead the growth in the eight core sectors will be conditional upon the pace of economic recovery and high base effect. However, there continues to be uncertainty over re-imposition of Covid-19 restrictions amid rising level of infections. The IIP growth for the month can be positive (but less than 1 per cent) contingent upon support by consumer oriented industries.

Courtesy: CARE Ratings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Akanksha Bhende, Associate Economist, CARE Ratings

Disclaimer: This report is prepared by CARE Ratings Limited. CARE Ratings has taken utmost care to ensure accuracy and objectivity while developing this report based on information available in public domain. However, neither the accuracy nor completeness of information contained in this report is guaranteed. CARE Ratings is not responsible for any errors or omissions in analysis/inferences/views or for results obtained from the use of information contained in this report and especially states that CARE Ratings has no financial liability whatsoever to the user of this report.

Concrete

UltraTech to Deploy 600+ Electric Trucks by Dec 2026

Cement major expands green logistics to cut emissions across supply chain

Published

7 hours ago

September 3, 2026

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UltraTech Cement Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company, plans to expand its electric vehicle fleet in logistics operations to more than 600 EV trucks by December 2026, strengthening its green transport initiatives.

The company has signed service agreements with leading EV prime mover manufacturers, including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy in Motion and Sany, along with their subsidiaries and logistics partners, for deploying electric trucks.

The expanded fleet will transport around five million MT of clinker and other key materials annually across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Once operational, the fleet is expected to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by over 1,17,000 tonnes and replace nearly 39 million litres of diesel consumption.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said the company is extending sustainability beyond its manufacturing plants by adopting greener logistics solutions and decarbonising its value chain.

UltraTech has been among the early adopters of sustainable transport in the cement sector, introducing CNG trucks in 2021 and electric trucks in 2024. The company currently operates more than 850 trucks under its green logistics programme, including CNG and electric vehicles.

With a grey cement capacity exceeding 200 MTPA in India, UltraTech is integrating electrification across its logistics network, covering mine-to-plant movement and inter-plant transportation of clinker and other materials.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement expands green logistics with 600+ electric truck fleet

Published

9 hours ago

September 3, 2026

admin

The e-truck fleet will be used to transport five million MT of clinker and other key materials with potential of over 1,17,000 tonnes of net annual CO₂ reduction, displacing the equivalent of 39 million litres of diesel per year.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company and the world’s largest cement company by sales volume and capacity outside China, has announced that it will scale up its electric vehicle fleet in its logistics operations to 600+ EV trucks by December 2026.

UltraTech has signed service contracts with leading EV prime mover manufacturers including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy in Motion and Sany, along with their subsidiaries and other third-party logistics providers, to deploy EV trucks.

The total fleet of 600+ EV trucks will transport about five million MT of clinker and other key materials per annum across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Once fully operational, this fleet of over 600 EV trucks will enable a net annual CO₂ reduction of more than 1,17,000 tonnes, displacing the equivalent of 39 million litres of diesel per year.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “UltraTech is expanding sustainability beyond its plants by adopting greener logistics solutions. This large-scale transition to green logistics underscores our focus on decarbonising every link of our value chain and supports our commitment to achieving Net Zero.”

UltraTech has been a pioneer in advancing sustainable transport in the cement sector, being the first cement company to deploy heavy-duty electric trucks for long-haul transport of clinker and other materials at scale. The company was among the first in India to introduce green logistics, deploying CNG trucks in 2021 and electric trucks in 2024. UltraTech currently operates 850+ trucks as part of its green logistics operations, including CNG and electric trucks.

UltraTech, with a grey cement capacity of over 200 MTPA in India, operates one of the country’s most complex logistics networks. Its electrification strategy covers the entire supply chain—from mine-to-plant movement to inter-plant transport of clinker and other key materials.

The $ 10 billion UltraTech, the cement flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total Grey Cement capacity of 205.5 MTPA and White Cement/Putty capacity of 3.2 MTPA. It is a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the Net Zero Concrete roadmap announced by GCCA.

Concrete

CarbonStrong Raises Rs 125 Million To Scale Low Carbon Cement Tech

To build capacity of 100,000 tonnes a year

Published

6 days ago

August 28, 2026

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CarbonStrong has raised Rs 125 million (125 mn) to scale a low carbon cement technology and build commercial production capacity. The startup was founded in 2022 by Harsh Jain and Vikramaditya Singh and has moved from customer trials to plans for industrial supply. The company said its material replaces up to 50 per cent of cement in concrete while reducing costs and improving durability.

CarbonStrong states the product is around 30 per cent cheaper than cement and compatible with existing concrete plants, reducing the need for new equipment and operational disruption. Trials and paid pilots have been conducted in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai with demonstration projects involving ready-mix firms and precast manufacturers. Compatibility with current workflows forms a central part of the commercial strategy, aiming to ease adoption by builders and contractors.

The funding will support construction of a facility with capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes (100,000 t) a year over the next two years to supply early customers commercially. The firm is also developing materials from steel slag, copper slag and mine tailings to expand its feedstock base, while noting the technical challenge of homogenising different waste streams. Recognition by HCL ClimaForce in 2026 and by the Avaana-Startup India-NITI Aayog AIM Grand Challenge in 2025 has underscored progress.

Industry adoption remains the principal test and will require consistent material performance, supply reliability and competitive economics. CarbonStrong projects the Indian market for cement substitutes could reach Rs 250 billion (250 bn) by 2030 and has set an ambition to produce 10 million tonnes a year by 2035 (10 mn t), a target far above its near term capacity. Moving from pilots to production demands capital, manufacturing discipline and customers willing to specify the material beyond demonstrations. The recent Rs 125 million raise is intended to fund the next phase of scale and to demonstrate that industrial waste can become a dependable input for lower carbon construction.