Connect with us

Concrete

Will cement demand grow post-pandemic?

Published

on

Shares

Cement is a typically cyclical sector that has weathered many an economic storm. And with the world reeling under the Covid-19, everyone is waiting and watching how the sector will react. India is the second largest producer of cement in the world and the second largest consumer (next to China in both cases). The sector plays a significant part in the growth story of Indian economy, providing employment to over a million people, directly or indirectly. And over the past few years, it has witnessed a lot of consolidation: Today, the top 20 cement companies account for almost 70% of the total cement production in the country.

FIRST Construction Council in association with Indian Cement Review organised the 11th Cement Expo Plus Online on March 17. The virtual event involved the 6th Indian Cement Review Conference 2021 that focused on three sessions:

  • Will cement demand grow post the pandemic?

  • Opportunities for automation and digital transformation

  • Using municipal solid waste as fuel in the kiln

The conference was followed by the 4th Indian Cement Review Awards 2021 that will recognise and reward India?? Fastest Growing Cement companies.

Chief Guest Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India, shared his message with the industry, probing the central question, ??an we make everything Atmanirbhar???/p>

For full report on Chief Guest?? address, click here.

In his inaugural address, Pratap Padode, Founder & President, FIRST Construction Council, pointed out that ??ement production has been falling, which could indicate that the pent up demand has already been exhausted.??/p>

A large number of stakeholders from the industry participated and spoke:

Arun Attri, Vice President-IT, Wonder Cement
Ashok Kumar Dembla, President & Managing Director, KHD Humboldt Wedag
BN Mohapatra, Director General, NCCBM,
Mayank D Kamdar, Marketing Director, Lilanand Magnesites
Michel Folliet, CEO Co-Founder, Pantheum Solutions
Nitesh Jain, Director, CRISIL Ratings
Palash Kumar Saha, Research Scientist, SINTEF Building & Infrastructure
Pawan Mathur, Vice President & Head-Automation, UltraTech
Rajnish Kapoor, Head-Grey Cement, JK Cement
Rishi Fogla, Executive Director, Fogla Corp
Sandeep Ramprasad, Global Service Product Manager, Cement Industry, ABB
Shreesh Khadilkar, Consultant
Shyam Asawa, President-Projects, Orient Cement
Srikanth Sola, CEO & Co-Founder, Devic Earth
Ulhas Parlikar, Global Consultant, Waste Management, Circular Economy, Policy Advocacy, AFR & Co-Processing

Find out who walked away with the 4th Indian Cement Review Awards. Read full article, view event video here.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Concrete

BMC Cement Concretisation Cuts Pothole Repairs By 70 Per Cent

Project worth Rs 170 billion (Rs 170 bn) aims to concretise 1,900 km by 2027

Published

on

By

Shares

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s cement concretisation project, valued at Rs 170 billion (Rs 170 bn), has reduced expenditure on pothole repairs by 70 per cent over three years. Spending on repairs fell from Rs 2.02 billion in 2023–24 to Rs 1.56 billion in 2024–25 and then to Rs 890 million (Rs 890 mn) in 2025–26. The current tender is expected to be about Rs 440 million, representing a further 50 per cent reduction.

The project is being executed in two phases, with Phase I covering 307 km from October 2023 and Phase II covering 370 km from October 2024. The Indian Institute of Technology is auditing Phase II and will now also audit Phase I to ensure quality and accountability. Mumbai’s total road network spans approximately 2,050 km, of which about 1,200 km had been converted to cement concrete before 2022.

Since 2022 an additional 677 km were taken up for concretisation and nearly 71 per cent of that work, amounting to 481 km, has been completed. Municipal officials indicated that 10–15 per cent of the remaining work is expected to be completed by May 2026 and another 10 per cent by December 2026. The entire programme is scheduled for completion by May 2027, by which time nearly 1,900 km of Mumbai’s roads are expected to be fully concretised.

The administration has also developed a real time dashboard that displays detailed information about contracts, contractors and progress and citizens can access the latest updates online. The dashboard includes contact details for the civic officials and contractors responsible for particular roads to enhance transparency and accountability. The commissioner directed that ongoing works be completed by 31 May ahead of the monsoon to safeguard completion targets and minimise disruption.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Shree Cement Approves Rs 1,800 Crore Meghalaya Plant

Integrated unit to be completed by quarter ending March 2028

Published

on

By

Shares

Shree Cement has approved the establishment of an integrated cement plant in Meghalaya, signalling a targeted capacity expansion to serve regional demand. The board cleared a unit at Village Daistong in East Jaintia Hills District with a clinker capacity of zero point nine five million tonnes per annum (mn t) and a cement capacity of zero point nine nine million tonnes per annum (mn t). The project was approved on April four, 2026 and is designed as a new addition to the company’s production network where it currently has no existing plant.

The company has earmarked an estimated investment of Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion (bn)) for the project, which will be financed through a mix of internal accruals and debt. Management has indicated a balanced financing strategy to preserve cash flows while supporting long-term growth and operational investment. The financing approach is intended to avoid over reliance on external borrowing and to maintain financial discipline during the build out.

The plant is expected to improve logistics efficiency and compress distribution distances to emerging demand centres in the north-east, potentially lowering transportation costs and lead times. By locating production closer to demand the company aims to strengthen market access and respond more effectively to regional construction activity. The project forms part of a broader strategy to diversify the production base across geographies and reduce concentration risk.

Execution is planned over a multi-year window with completion targeted by the quarter ending March 2028 and the company will proceed with construction and requisite regulatory clearances. The integrated design is intended to enhance operational control and production efficiency once operational. The decision follows a regulatory filing dated April four, 2026 and the disclosed details have not been independently verified.

Continue Reading

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

on

By

Shares

The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Continue Reading

Video Thumbnail
â–¶

    SIGN-UP FOR OUR GENERAL NEWSLETTER


    Trending News

    SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

     

    Don't miss out on valuable insights and opportunities to connect with like minded professionals.

     


      This will close in 0 seconds