Concrete

Always Escalate, so as not to Escalate

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2021

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Languages are such wonderful medium of human expression, because words can have such myriad meanings. There are many words which mean quite different things, taken in context. Unfortunately, here we are not talking about languages, but about project management. ??lways escalate, so as not to escalate??may sound, at first glance, like a meaningless play with words, but it is really not so, in our context. Check out these meanings: Escalate ??To increase in intensity or extent, or Escalate ??To become more serious, or be amplified.

Here, in this column, I mean to say that one must always escalate issues and problems to higher levels at the earliest opportunity, so as to avoid escalation of project cost and time. From my exposure to Project successes and failures, this is a very core issue in project management. Project cost escalation (time and cost are inextricably connected) is a very dreaded word in project management parlance. Not only dreaded, but also hated! But as long as there will be projects, there will remain the possibility of time/cost escalations. Unforeseen things happen, unprecedented situations develop, circumstances spin out of control, and these tend to delay projects and increase costs.

But in almost all cases, there are ways to manage and reduce the impact of these unforeseen things, provided we decide on a solution and act quickly to implement the solution. This is where we fail, because we do not highlight these events, rather we tend to push these below the proverbial carpet, as if they will vanish on their own. Why does this happen? There are two very interesting reasons, one hierarchical, and the other behavioural, and both act in tandem.

No organisation is absolutely flat, and there are levels. This is true for project teams also. In all cases, there will at least be three levels. There are operating people in the field, there is a manager who is responsible for leading and guiding the team, and then there will be so called ??op management?? which could be a CEO, or a Board, or a similar body assigned for review and/or oversight. Now, nascent problems in a project, such as insipient causes for delay, are likely to be known first to the operating level, who have their ??ars glued to the ground??

Think of it, who is most likely to get early signals of possible delays in designing of a building, or manufacturing of a critical component, or construction of a crucial structure, or a key regulatory approval ? who will know first, about a strike in a supplier?? factory, about an agitation at construction site, or about resignation of a key member of sub-contractors??team ? First to know will be the ??oot soldiers??of a project team. Now, this is very powerful information, with far-reaching consequences. However, sadly, officials at this level are not empowered to analyse the impact of such delays, leave alone evolve a solution. The knowledge to do so, and the authority to do so, lies one or two hierarchical levels higher up. And, more often than not, the information is not escalated upwards. Why not? That brings us to the second interesting reason.

This has to do more with psychology than project management per se. We all have an instinctive tendency to hush up bad news because we feel if we pass on these information, it will be taken as our failure. We try to resolve the problem at our level, and in the process waste precious time for intervention. What we do not realise, is that small adversities, when suppressed, may well become huge irreversible setbacks for a project, and that in these matters, speed of escalation and transparency always pay.

The sooner the bad news is known, the better it is, because the corrective actions can be taken immediately. But such rational thinking is often layered by the fear of immediate and short term outcomes of so-called failures. This is a cultural issue, this has to do more with our minds, than with our sense of logic. In larger project organisations, this phenomenon may also be driven by some nuances of internal politics. In any case, the project suffers. To get round this well-known issue, sometimes top management deploys informal and alternative channels to ensure flow of such information directly from field to boardroom. This is a crude workaround, because this kind of strategies undermine the formal organisation structures and dilutes accountability.

– SUMIT BANERJEE

Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas, CleanMax Partner for Wind-Solar Hybrid Project in Rajasthan

Published

5 hours ago

September 29, 2026

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The project – comprising 20 MW of wind and 26.4 MWdc of solar capacity – will support Nuvoco’s cement operations with cleaner power while strengthening its renewable energy and decarbonisation strategy.

Mumbai, September 29, 2026

Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, part of Nirma Group and one of India’s leading cement companies, has partnered with Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions Limited (CleanMax), a renewable energy solutions provider for the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, to develop a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid renewable energy project in Rajasthan.

The project will support Nuvoco’s cement operations with cleaner power while strengthening its renewable energy and decarbonisation strategy. It is expected to increase the share of renewable energy in Nuvoco’s power mix, reducing fossil fuel consumption and associated emissions.

Developed by CleanMax, an Independent Power Producer (IPP), at Bhikamkhore, Rajasthan, the project will comprise 20 MW of wind capacity and 26.4 MWdc of solar capacity, along with a 2-MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Power generated from the facility will be supplied to Nuvoco through the State Transmission Utility (STU) Open Access network.

The hybrid project is expected to generate approximately 100 million units (MU) of renewable electricity annually and help avoid around 1,25,485 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year across Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

The initiative supports Nuvoco’s ongoing efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of its manufacturing operations through renewable energy adoption, Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), energy-efficiency measures and increased use of alternative fuels. It also aligns with the company’s DIRE (Digitalisation, Innovation and Renewables) agenda, which focuses on climate action, renewable energy transition, water stewardship, circularity and biodiversity conservation across its manufacturing ecosystem.

Commenting on the initiative, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, said, “This marks an important step in advancing Nuvoco’s journey towards more sustainable and resilient operations. Our collaboration with CleanMax will increase the share of renewable energy across our Rajasthan operations, strengthening our energy mix while improving long-term cost efficiency and reducing our dependence on conventional power sources. Initiatives such as these reinforce our commitment to operational excellence and responsible growth, while supporting our vision of Building a Safer, Smarter and Sustainable World.”

Kuldeep Jain, Founder and Managing Director, CleanMax, said, “Cement plants run continuously, so the power behind them has to be dependable for decades, not years. We’re seeing manufacturing industries view clean energy as an integral part of their core operations and long-term strategy. Our partnership with Nuvoco reflects that shift, and we’re pleased to support its decarbonisation journey. This wind-solar hybrid project is designed to deliver long-term cost certainty while supporting the Company’s transition to cleaner power.”

Nuvoco has been advancing its sustainability initiatives through renewable energy, operational efficiency and technology-driven solutions. The company operates across Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete (RMX) and Modern Building Materials (MBM) segments, with a presence across East, North and West India.

The company began operations in 2014 with a greenfield cement plant in Nimbol, Rajasthan, and later acquired Lafarge India Limited, which entered India in 1999, along with Emami Cement Ltd in 2020 and Vadraj Cement Limited in April 2025. With planned expansion initiatives, including a new grinding mill at the Arasmeta Cement Plant and multiple debottlenecking projects, Nuvoco aims to achieve a cement capacity of 35 MMTPA.

The company reported total income of Rs 113.62 billion in FY 2025-26, reflecting its continued growth trajectory. Its cement portfolio includes Concreto, Duraguard, Double Bull, PSC, Nirmax and Infracem brands, while its RMX business offers products under Concreto, Artiste, InstaMix, X-Con and Ecodure brands. Nuvoco also provides construction solutions under its Zero M range of modern building materials.

Concrete

UltraTech Unit Runs Entirely on Green Energy

Kukurdih Cement Works meets its full electricity needs through green energy.

Published

6 hours ago

September 29, 2026

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UltraTech Cement has achieved a decarbonisation milestone, with its integrated Kukurdih Cement Works in Chhattisgarh meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through green energy every month since April 2026.

Commissioned in 2024, the plant has an installed grey cement capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum. It meets its entire electricity requirement through a combination of renewable power sourcing and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), while maintaining operational reliability.

Since April 2026, nearly a third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements. Five units, including Kukurdih Cement Works, have exceeded 95 per cent green energy utilisation.

UltraTech is also progressively deploying Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across its manufacturing network to enable deeper integration of renewable energy. The company has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

As of Q1FY27, UltraTech’s captive green energy capacity stood at 1,897 MW, comprising 1,463 MW of renewable capacity across solar, wind and hybrid sources, and 434 MW of WHRS capacity.

Under its RE100 commitment, UltraTech aims to increase green power’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement achieves 100% green energy milestone at Chhattisgarh plant

Published

7 hours ago

September 29, 2026

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UltraTech Cement’s Kukurdih Works becomes its first integrated unit to meet 100 per cent electricity needs through green energy every month.

Raipur (Chhattisgarh)

UltraTech Cement Limited, the world’s largest cement company outside China, has achieved a significant decarbonisation milestone, with its Kukurdih Cement Works integrated unit in Chhattisgarh meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through green energy every month since April 2026.

Commissioned in 2024, Kukurdih Cement Works has an installed grey cement capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum. The unit achieved this milestone through a combination of renewable power sourcing and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), which now collectively meet its entire electricity demand while ensuring operational reliability.

Since April 2026, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements. Five units, including Kukurdih, have exceeded 95 per cent green energy utilisation. The company is also progressively deploying Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across its network to enable deeper renewable energy integration.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech has not invested in additional captive thermal power capacity for greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for over a decade.

As of Q1FY27, the company’s captive green energy capacity stood at 1,897 MW, comprising 1,463 MW of renewable energy capacity from solar, wind and hybrid sources, along with 434 MW of WHRS capacity. Under its RE100 commitment, UltraTech aims to increase the share of green power in its total energy mix to 85 per cent by 2030 and achieve 100 per cent by 2050.

UltraTech Cement Ltd, the cement flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, is a $10-billion building solutions company and the largest cement producer globally by sales volume outside China. The company has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement/putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. It is a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the Net Zero Concrete roadmap announced by GCCA.