Technology

We have one of the most modern plants in the country today

Published

4 years ago

October 14, 2021

admin

Pawan Ahluwalia, Managing Director, KJS Cement

Within a short span of just eight months, KJS Cement has achieved one hundred per cent capacity utilisation, and the brand has already become the preferred choice of consumers. Plans are on to set up one more line of 2.5 million tonne capacity, making it a total of five million tonne. Pawan Ahluwalia, Managing Director, KJS Cement, in an exclusive chat with ICR, shares his views on the current scenario, the challenges faced by the industry and the core strengths of the company. Excerpts from the interview.

What are your views on the current scenario of the Indian cement industry?

The current market is slightly depressed. However, as cement sales is cyclic in nature, we do not see this trend lasting long. I think the industry will be back on track by September 2013, after the monsoons. The market will regain its pace and the cement industry is expected to grow at the rate of 8 to 10 per cent a year. The per capita consumption of cement in India is far below the global average. This singular factor underlines the tremendous scope of growth in the Indian cement industry, in the medium to long term.

How do you assess your financial performance so far?

It is too early to comment on the financial performance as we have not yet completed one full year of production and sales. All of this takes time to settle down because we started the commercial production only in July 2012. So normally, it takes about eight to nine months to settle down to full capacity. Hopefully the next quarter may be good for us. However, let me confidently say that our per metric tonne of NCR realisation is comparable with the best in the industry.

How many plants does the company have and where do you source coal and steel from?

We have only one plant located in the district of Maiher, in Madhya Pradesh. We are currently concentrating on central Indian markets, as these are our natural markets. Our share of the market can be fairly assessed once we fully cover the natural markets/geographical areas. We also have an iron ore mines in Orissa, which is the largest in the state. We also have a steel plant in Satna. Thus, we source steel from our plant. And the coal we get from South Eastern Coalfield and we have applied for linkage which is likely to be cleared shortly. Then, once we get the linkage, we will have no problem. Right now, we are using the coal from South Eastern Coalfield and recently, we imported coal from South Africa.

How energy-efficient is your plant at Maiher?

Well, we have one of the most modern plants in the country today. We have FLS Pyro shipped from Denmark. Our grinding system, Loesche, is from Germany. We have used advanced technology in different areas of cement production. The technology we have used is extremely fuel-efficient, most productive and we ensure that the machines are used optimally without any breakdowns.

Could you brief us on your dealer network.

We have a sizable network of about 600 dealers which includes the areas of Madhya Pradesh, UP and Bihar. Since cement is basically logistics business, the farther the distance, the lower the contribution. So we would prefer to consider only the niche markets.

Who are your major clients right now?

Our main focus is on trade sales. Which goes direct to the consumer, I mean building construction, road- making and all that.

Is there any capacity expansion on the anvil?

Not right now as we have sufficient installed capacity to meet the demand. However, we are planning on a captive power plant and also grinding unit.

What are the major challenges faced by the industry?

First of all, taxation is highly skewed for cement; we would like to see a rationalised tax structure. Also I would like to add that the demand-supply scenario is out of sync, yet major players are into augmentation of capacity. The input costs have gone up, the logistic cost is heading high as also the overhead costs. These are having an impact on the industry which is still in consolidation mode. So the growth of the cement industry, as per my understanding, is going to be about 11 to 12 per cent as has been projected by the Planning Commission. And that much I think will be sufficient for the industry to grow.

What support do you require from the government on the policy level?

The excise duty needs to be reduced; this has been a long time demand. The government should also support the industry with a reliable supply of coal. As there is a huge paucity of coal, the ideal solution is to allocate a reasonable share of coal to the cement industry. If the industry receives support from the government on power and energy, the rest all can be taken care of by the industry itself.

How does the company address the logistics issues?

Transportation/logistic cost and also energy costs, are huge costs in the overall production costs. Our endeavour is to constantly work towards the lowering of these costs. Logistics has been the biggest cost for us and we prefer railway logistics over road. Road transport is becoming expensive day by day not only due to increasing costs of diesel but also due to secondary cost because you have to dump your material into the godowns and again load and unload it, for which you need 300-400 trucks. Availability of the same is an issue. While using the railways, you carry the 3,000-3,500 tonne at a go.

Are there any takeovers on the cards?

We are open to that. But right now our focus is on onsolidation of our core markets.

Technology

ARAPL Reports 175% EBITDA Growth, Expands Global Robotics Footprint

Affordable Robotic & Automation posts strong Q2 and H1 FY26 results driven by innovation and overseas orders

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

admin

Affordable Robotic & Automation Limited (ARAPL), India’s first listed robotics firm and a pioneer in industrial automation and smart robotic solutions, has reported robust financial results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2025.
The company achieved a 175 per cent year-on-year rise in standalone EBITDA and strong revenue growth across its automation and robotics segments. The Board of Directors approved the unaudited financial results on October 10, 2025.

Key Highlights – Q2 FY2026
• Strong momentum across core automation and robotics divisions
• Secured the first order for the Atlas AC2000, an autonomous truck loading and unloading forklift, from a leading US logistics player
• Rebranded its RaaS product line as Humro (Human + Robot), symbolising collaborative automation between people and machines
• Expanded its Humro range in global warehouse automation markets
• Continued investment in deep-tech innovations, including AI-based route optimisation, autonomy kits, vehicle controllers, and digital twins
Global Milestone: First Atlas AC2000 Order in the US

ARAPL’s US-based subsidiary, ARAPL RaaS (Humro), received its first order for the next-generation Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklift from a leading logistics company. Following successful prototype trials, the client placed an order for two robots valued at Rs 36 million under a three-year lease. The project opens opportunities for scaling up to 15–16 robots per site across 15 US warehouses within two years.
The product addresses an untapped market of 10 million loading docks across 21,000 warehouses in the US, positioning ARAPL for exponential growth.

Financial Performance – Q2 FY2026 (Standalone)
Net Revenue: Rs 25.7587 million, up 37 per cent quarter-on-quarter
EBITDA: Rs 5.9632 million, up 396 per cent QoQ
Profit Before Tax: Rs 4.3808 million, compared to a Rs 360.46 lakh loss in Q1
Profit After Tax: Rs 4.1854 lakh, representing 216 per cent QoQ growth
On a half-year basis, ARAPL reported a 175 per cent rise in EBITDA and returned to profitability with Rs 58.08 lakh PAT, highlighting strong operational efficiency and improved contribution from core businesses.
Consolidated Performance – Q2 FY2026
Net Revenue: Rs 29.566 million, up 57% QoQ
EBITDA: Rs 6.2608 million, up 418 per cent QoQ
Profit After Tax: Rs 4.5672 million, marking a 224 per cent QoQ improvement

Milind Padole, Managing Director, ARAPL said, “Our Q2 results reflect the success of our innovation-led growth strategy and the growing global confidence in ARAPL’s technology. The Atlas AC2000 order marks a defining milestone that validates our engineering strength and accelerates our global expansion. With a healthy order book and continued investment in AI and autonomous systems, ARAPL is positioned to lead the next phase of intelligent industrial transformation.”
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Pune, Affordable Robotic & Automation Ltd (ARAPL) delivers turnkey robotic and automation solutions across automotive, general manufacturing, and government sectors. Its offerings include robotic welding, automated inspection, assembly automation, automated parking systems, and autonomous driverless forklifts.
ARAPL operates five advanced plants in Pune spanning 350,000 sq ft, supported by over 400 engineers in India and seven team members in the US. The company also maintains facilities in North Carolina and California, and service centres in Faridabad, Mumbai, and San Francisco.

Technology

M.E. Energy Bags Rs 490 Mn Order for Waste Heat Recovery Project

Second major EPC contract from Ferro Alloys sector strengthens company’s growth

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

admin

M.E. Energy Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kilburn Engineering Ltd and a leading Indian engineering company specialising in energy recovery and cost reduction, has secured its second consecutive major order worth Rs 490 million in the Ferro Alloys sector. The order covers the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of a 12 MW Waste Heat Recovery Based Power Plant (WHRPP).

This repeat order underscores the Ferro Alloys industry’s confidence in M.E. Energy’s expertise in delivering efficient and sustainable energy solutions for high-temperature process industries. The project aims to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions by converting waste heat into clean power.

“Securing another project in the Ferro Alloys segment reinforces our strong technical credibility. It’s a proud moment as we continue helping our clients achieve sustainability and cost efficiency through innovative waste heat recovery systems,” said K. Vijaysanker Kartha, Managing Director, M.E. Energy Pvt Ltd.

“M.E. Energy’s expansion into sectors such as cement and ferro alloys is yielding solid results. We remain confident of sustained success as we deepen our presence in steel and carbon black industries. These achievements reaffirm our focus on innovation, technology, and energy efficiency,” added Amritanshu Khaitan, Director, Kilburn Engineering Ltd

With this latest order, M.E. Energy has already surpassed its total external order bookings from the previous financial year, recording Rs 138 crore so far in FY26. The company anticipates further growth in the second half, supported by a robust project pipeline and the rising adoption of waste heat recovery technologies across industries.

The development marks continued momentum towards FY27, strengthening M.E. Energy’s position as a leading player in industrial energy optimisation.

Technology

NTPC Green Energy Partners with Japan’s ENEOS for Green Fuel Exports

NGEL signs MoU with ENEOS to supply green methanol and hydrogen derivatives

Published

2 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

admin

NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s ENEOS Corporation to explore a potential agreement for the supply of green methanol and hydrogen derivative products.

The MoU was exchanged on 10 October 2025 during the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. It marks a major step towards global collaboration in clean energy and decarbonisation.
The partnership centres on NGEL’s upcoming Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Andhra Pradesh. Spread across 1,200 acres, the integrated facility is being developed for large-scale green chemical production and exports.

By aligning ENEOS’s demand for hydrogen derivatives with NGEL’s renewable energy initiatives, the collaboration aims to accelerate low-carbon energy transitions. It also supports NGEL’s target of achieving a 60 GW renewable energy portfolio by 2032, reinforcing its commitment to India’s green energy ambitions and the global net-zero agenda.