Concrete

New cement association on the anvil

Published

5 years ago

July 1, 2021

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Cement and Steel producers are once again under the ire of government as union minister Nitin Gadkari indicated a brewing cartel in the two industries. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has assured the Builders??Association of India (BAI) that he would look into their demand for a regulatory authority for the cement and steel sectors. He said the Central government is serious about curbing instances of cartelisation.

Expressing concern, Gadkari said he felt there is cartelisation in these industries. The minister made the comments while virtually interacting with the members and office-bearers of the BAI in the month of January 2021.

??e have taken serious note of it [cartelisation] and I have discussed this with the Prime Minister. Most steel companies own iron ore mines and with no increase in labour and power charges, why should there be an increase in steel prices? It is very difficult to understand,??the minister said.

Big players in the steel and cement industry are conspiring together to jack up prices, he said. The steel prices have risen by 55 per cent in the last six months, even though the cost of key inputs like raw materials and power remained the same.

“It will be difficult to achieve Prime Minister Modi?? dream of making India a $5 trillion economy if the steel and cement prices keep rising,” Gadkari had said. Cartel is a collection of companies in the same industry that collude together to control the price of a product/service.

This comes a month after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) conducted searches in the offices of major cement producers to find the evidence of price collusion.

Background

In 2019, country’s anti-trust body started examining complaints of cartelisation in the cement industry. Following this, in December 2020, it raided top five cement companies, including UltraTech Cement offices and two subsidiaries of LafargeHolcim, world?? largest cement maker.

It conducted the searches simultaneously in multiple offices across the country and seized electronic and physical data, pieces of equipment and material. The agency had also hired private IT experts to decode the data it collected from the seize.

By December 2020, the industry had hiked cement prices by 23 percent, whereas steel prices rose by whooping 45 percent since January 2020. In January 2020, the price of one cement bag (50 kg) was Rs 349, in December 2020, real estate developers were buying the same bag at Rs 430.

On the other hand, during the same period, the price of steel surged from Rs 40,000 to Rs 58,000. Gadkari had made similar comments then too, saying these two industries keep taking unfair advantage of government’s initiatives to help them. He had said, “I decided to make all roads concrete. I wanted to encourage the cement industry. But they are only taking (unfair) advantage of the situation and making cartels. So, I am now allowing bitumen for road construction.??/p>

A month after the investigation, Gadkari has brought the matter into the limelight once again. Cement and steel factories exploit people by levying higher rates while there is no noticeable hike in either power or labor costs. This is a clear indication of a cartel in both the industries, union minister Nitin Gadkari said. All the players in the industry have their own iron ore mines and do not have to face any hikes in labour or power rates, he added.

Speaking to the Builders Association of India of Western Region, he wondered why the industry is hiking prices when prices of other input factors have been constant. He indicated government has infra projects worth more than Rs 100 crore in the pipeline and their sustenance would be difficult if both the industries keep this up.

To deal with the situation, the government is mulling over setting a regulator for cement and steel industry. Earlier, Gadkari had written to the PM seeking his intervention on price collusion in the two industries.

Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions 1 MTPA Unit in Rajasthan

Rajasthan grinding capacity rises to 3.50 MTPA after commissioning

Published

2 hours ago

October 9, 2026

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JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 MTPA cement grinding unit in Nagaur, Rajasthan, taking the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.1 MTPA. The commissioning was announced on Tuesday, October 6.

The company said the new unit had increased the total cement grinding capacity at its Rajasthan plant to 3.50 MTPA. The expansion adds to JSW Cement’s production infrastructure as it continues to build capacity across its operating network.

The company’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including capacity at its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA. Clinker is an intermediate material used in cement production, and its availability supports the company’s grinding operations.

JSW Cement is also pursuing a proposed merger of its listed subsidiary Shiva Cement with the company. The scheme, approved by the boards of the respective companies, involves issuing five fully paid-up JSW Cement equity shares for every 41 shares held by Shiva Cement shareholders other than JSW Cement.

The arrangement remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. JSW Cement currently holds 66.23 per cent of Shiva Cement’s paid-up equity share capital, and the shares held by JSW Cement in the subsidiary will be cancelled under the proposal without any issue of JSW Cement shares against that holding.

The scheme has an appointed date of April 1, 2026, and the company has indicated that completion could take 12 to 14 months, depending on the receipt of approvals. These include clearances from stock exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the National Company Law Tribunal and other applicable authorities, along with approvals from shareholders and creditors where required. JSW Cement shares closed at Rs. 113.15 on the BSE, up Rs. 2.05, or 1.85 per cent.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

9 hours 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 in Rajasthan

The Nagaur expansion takes JSW Cement’s total grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2026

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JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) cement grinding unit at its Nagaur Integrated Plant in Rajasthan. The commissioning takes the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

JSW Cement’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, now stands at 9.74 MTPA.

The company began operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and a 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the latest expansion, the plant’s total grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA.

The additional capacity will cater to cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a combination of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, JSW Cement also commissioned an Alternate Fuel Handling System and a Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) at the Nagaur plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said the additional grinding capacity was a strategic priority for the company’s expansion in North India. He added that the Alternate Fuel Handling System and WHRS were expected to reduce production costs.