Economy & Market

Vaccine economy: The bigger picture of primary healthcare

Published

6 years ago

March 5, 2021

admin

The vaccination of people against the pandemic is one sure way to come out of the economic steadfastness we have seen in the run-up to the opening of the sectors in the post lock-down phase, in most economies of the world, India is no exception. The speed with which vaccination can be implemented has several objective functions, some of them conflicting with each other. Take for example, the additional fiscal burden on one hand and the possible other conflicting priorities at the same time.

The fiscal calculations is made simple by the budget outlook of Rs 35,000 crore set aside by the vaccine distribution and administering cost for this year, which comes to Rs 700 per person for 50 crore of the population, which is the critical mass of people in the target age groups, that are vulnerable. As a base cost this is quite an accurate prediction.

However, supply chain costs have to contend with a time element and wastes cannot be recovered; for example if large parts of the supply chain idle at some point of time, these costs cannot be recovered by additional out-stretched means. If one goes by the relative capacity utilisation of vaccine centers then a majority of the centers are at close to a quarter of the utilisation that it is supposed to be planned on, while a minority of centers are at over-capacity.

This is the classical problem of demand shaping. The core of the problem is that demand must be shaped such that a supply line will operate at its capacity level efficiently, both in terms of economies of scale but also in terms of density. It is like minimising the cost of an additional supply, given that the system is optimised. For a fully optimised supply line, this additional cost is close to zero.

So the vaccine cost is actually the cost of an optimised supply line and it is just not the efficiency of the last mile, but the combined effort of ensuring that demand and supply matches to the optimised capacity for majority of the administering points. This would mean promotional campaigns to ensure that all points of service have adequate number of recipients lining up for the vaccine on time while the supply lines are planned to match it.

At India-wide deployment level, this is no small task, it is the biggest experiment in supply chain planning and execution. India has actually done well in the past in the universal immunisation programmes to inoculate little more than five crore people per year. But that is mostly pregnant women and infant children, which is an even more challenging task. To now cover a more diverse cross section of people with a time bound plan, there is a requirement of supply chain planning of the vaccine that must match demand with supply at every stocking point, which would mean precision planning of logistics together with storage systems working in alignment. Bringing target segments to line up at the vaccine center is as difficult a task as planning the supply line for it.

Actually this is a great opportunity to test and augment the entire capacity of our public health infrastructure and systems, including people capability. If India?? primary health sector is at 2 per cent of the economy, the pandemic and the vaccination drive has the potential of adding a couple of percentage points to it. The question is whether the effort can be made such that the system is upgraded as a sustainable proposition and not taken as a one time push. The former will ensure that we create people capability in every aspect of the supply chains, from cold storage to cold storage distribution points, mobile storage and temperature protocols that end up producing zero waste in the system. These efficiencies would depend on people capabilities alone.

The procurement to planning of vaccine distribution in vaccine supply chains will create the backbone of a new primary health infrastructure where many parts of the system talk to each other to create strong service delivery response that the countrymen will be proud of. It is not fiscal maths or pandemic response, but we should be looking at the bigger picture for a sustainable future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Procyon Mukherjee is an ex-Chief Procurement Officer at LafargeHolcim India.

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Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 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

3 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

4 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.