Concrete

CSR is an enabler of aspirations and achievements

Published

4 years ago

October 19, 2021

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Dalmia Bharat Foundation has an internal monitoring and evaluation wing that provides actionable insights to better execute CSR projects, shares Vishal Bhardwaj, Group Head- CSR, Dalmia Bharat Group and CEO of Dalmia Bharat Foundation.

Please tell us about CSR activities done in Dalmia? Do you believe that it helps in building a strong brand name and good customer base?

It is broadly divided into three buckets. So the first bucket is the livelihoods bucket wherein we work both on the farm and the non-farm sector. The second bucket under climate action is about our work on water and access to clean energy while the third is social development where the focus is largely on infrastructure building. The needs and requirements vary from geography to geography. We try to fill existing gaps in villages around us, be it in the schools, Anganwadis or health facilities. So, these are the three major buckets where we keep our CSR focus.

We sincerely believe that there cannot be a complete disassociation between CSR and business. Water is very important to us. Wherever we have our cement plants, we share the aquifers with the local communities that need water for agriculture and domestic consumption. We do not want to put any pressure on the available water resources. Even though cement is not a very water-intensive manufacturing process, still, even if we draw 1 per cent of water from the aquifers, we want to give back many times of that to the communities. It gives us immense pride to share that Dalmia Cement is almost 10 times water positive. So for every litre of freshwater that we take from the shared resources, we make sure that we create a harvesting and conservation capacity of 10 litres. It ensures the long-term sustainability of the business and acts as a risk management tool to avert any conflicts between us and the communities related to resource sharing.

Further, the cement business is a pretty energy-intensive business. Dalmia is one of the most sustainable and least carbon footprint cement manufacturers. despite that, we do not lose out on any opportunity to offset our footprints. Taking a step further, we also assist communities around us to offset some of their footprints by adopting clean energy solutions. At least 10-15 Kgs of wood is burnt in each household around us in kitchens and one can only imagine the level of carbon emissions and the impact of fumes on the health of women and children. So, we provided them access to fuel-efficient cook-stoves and alternative fuels like biogas and LPGs. Then we saw people burning kerosene for lighting purposes, which is the biggest cause of burn injuries in rural areas. We encouraged such households to switch to solar lighting solutions. Our intent is to make the environment around us as clean as possible. We cannot ignore the issue of livelihood of our stakeholders. Our work on water gives us a good opportunity to work with the farmers on improving their productivity, yield, and therefore income. Besides, in sync with the Skill India initiative, we started to skill individuals who didn?? work on farms with the aim of creating alternative employment opportunities for them.

What were your CSR spending for the year 2020 and 2021? What is the strategy for planning CSR spending?

CSR in Dalmia is more than 80 years old. We started CSR ever since our genesis, even though it was not called CSR back then. But the trusteeship approach was similar to CSR. A decade before the CSR laws were promulgated, we had already established our Dalmia Bharat Foundation and were proactively engaging with our stakeholder communities. Our CSR budgets are driven by program needs. The 2 per cent limit doesn?? restrict us from investing in CSR when it is required. It is a beginning point to ensure that we spend what is mandated. But more often than not, we have actually gone beyond the mandate.

How do you evaluate and monitor CSR activities?

We proactively seek to measure the change brought out by our initiatives. In the last five years, we have carried out some independent assessments. One of the most important of them was the social returns on investment (SROI). We have used it to measure the impact of our work and have seen encouraging results. For every rupee that we invest in the livelihoods and water space, we get a return of about Rs 7 and Rs 3 respectively. We have also undertaken participatory appraisals through independent partners. Recently E&Y conducted an impact assessment of our work on livelihood, skilling and water. This is integrated into our strategy also. We have a theory of change that encompasses what we aspire to do and how do we achieve it. We also have an internal monitoring and evaluation wing that provides us with actionable insights to better execute our projects.

What has been the impact of the pandemic on CSR activities in cement and other industries?

It is noteworthy that we didn?? lose the momentum of what we were doing with respect to the three buckets even during the pandemic. Covid 19 brought in a different kind of challenge and we thought that it was our responsibility to work for all the stakeholders and not just the villages around us. During the first phase of Covid with the national lockdown imposed, we offered shelter, ration and medical assistance to the needy. We contributed financially to the PM Care Funds and various Chief Minister Relief funds. We extended a mix of financial and material support to our stakeholders.

The challenge of the second wave was principally around oxygen supply. We actively set up isolation facilities, Covid treatment centres, supplied oxygen and other medical equipment to hospitals. We believe that vaccination is now key to control the third wave. Due to the digital divide, we helped the villagers in getting registered on the vaccination portal. Eventually, we organised vaccination camps and arranged for their to-and-fro transportation. In the last month (June 2021), we assisted about 17,000 people to get vaccinated and I am sure that we will surpass that number this month.

What kind of feedback do you get from stakeholders in terms of meeting business objectives and how does CSR help in achieving the ultimate business goals of a company?

While the structures that we create for our projects like water harvesting are clearly visible, the need is to go much beyond that. That’s where studies and assessments step in. The E&Y study looked at various indicators to assess the quality of life in our communities. Through the study, we were able to understand whether the spending of the individuals went up, have they shifted from kacha house to pakka house, or has their mode of transportation changed. From a business point of view, many community members look at Dalmia as a potential employer. We absorb many of them into our workforce and provide upskilling opportunities for others to find an alternative source of livelihood. This creates harmony between us and the communities.

What are the key challenges while undertaking CSR activities? What best practices would you recommend overcoming those challenges?

During the initial days, we faced challenges in terms of deciding the organization?? priorities and strategies. We have come a long way from that. Until a decade back, we collaborated with NGO partners who delivered quality work but there was no direct link with the communities. That?? when we decided to capacitate our foundation to forge direct relationships with the people. Today, the Dalmia Bharat Foundation has been able to garner partnerships with communities, government and other corporates. This has enabled us to amplify our work and bring in more resources. We have institutionalised our CSR roadmap for 2030. In 2015, we aligned our CSR objectives with millennium development goals and later incorporated sustainable development goals to ensure that there is continuity throughout. So, there are more opportunities than challenges for us in CSR.

What is your CSR budget and roadmap for the next few years?

In terms of the roadmap, we propose to continue working largely on the issues of livelihood and climate action, with skilling and water being the major focus of these verticals. This is going to be our focus for the next 8 to 10 years, in line with our roadmap for 2030. In terms of the budget, this year our cement business is mandated to spend about Rs 13 crore. But with our ongoing projects, my hunch is that we would be exceeding the budget. Upon adding the contributions of other group companies and our partners, the entire resource pool would be in the range of Rs 40-45 crore.

Concrete

India’s Steel Imports Drop 34 Per Cent, Exports Rise 25 Per Cent In April–October

Consumption grows despite weak prices and subdued demand

Published

12 hours ago

November 28, 2025

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India’s finished steel imports fell 34.1 per cent year-on-year to 2.5 million tonnes in the first seven months of the financial year, according to government data. Despite the decline, the world’s second-largest crude steel producer remained a net importer of finished steel during the April–October period. The fall in imports came alongside a 7.4 per cent rise in domestic consumption, which reached 92.2 million tonnes.

South Korea emerged as India’s largest source of finished steel imports, supplying 1.4 million tonnes. It was followed by China, Japan and Russia. Although total imports declined sharply, the figures show a continued inflow of foreign steel into the Indian market.

Domestic production remained strong. Finished steel output stood at 91.6 million tonnes for April–October, while crude steel production reached 95.7 million tonnes, underscoring the scale and resilience of India’s steel industry despite external competition.

In contrast to the fall in imports, India’s finished steel exports jumped 25.3 per cent year-on-year to 3.5 million tonnes. Europe was a major destination, with Italy and Belgium leading as top importers of Indian steel, followed by Spain. This highlights the growing global competitiveness of Indian steel in select markets.

The government noted that domestic steel prices have come under pressure due to weak demand and high supply. Trading activity also remained subdued during the festival season. This challenging environment has been particularly difficult for smaller steel producers, as previously reported.

Overall, the combination of declining imports, rising exports and increasing domestic consumption reflects the complex landscape of the Indian steel sector as it navigates muted internal demand and evolving international trade dynamics.

Concrete

JK Lakshmi Cement Plans Rs 18.16 Billion Expansion

Firm to boost clinker and grinding capacity in Chhattisgarh

Published

12 hours ago

November 28, 2025

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JK Lakshmi Cement announced on Tuesday that it will invest Rs 18.16 billion to expand its manufacturing operations in Chhattisgarh. The company intends to raise its clinker production capacity by 2.31 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) and its cement grinding capacity by 1.2 MTPA, supported by this proposed investment.

The Memorandum of Understanding for the expansion was signed during the Chhattisgarh Investor Connect event in New Delhi, in the presence of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai. The added capacity will enhance the company’s ability to serve the rapidly growing markets of Eastern and Central India, where demand for building materials remains robust.

The move supports JK Lakshmi Cement’s broader goal of increasing its total capacity to around 30 MTPA in the coming years. Deputy Managing Director Shrivats Singhania said the expansion marks a significant step in the company’s next phase of growth, adding that Chhattisgarh has long been central to its manufacturing strategy.

Over the past decade, JK Lakshmi Cement has contributed to strengthening Chhattisgarh’s industrial landscape since establishing its integrated plant in Durg in 2015. The company has implemented multiple initiatives, including a manufacturing facility with 1.8 MTPA of clinker capacity and 2.7 MTPA of cement capacity, operational upgrades with energy-efficient technology and automation, and logistics improvements through enhanced rail connectivity.

Chhattisgarh continues to show strong economic momentum, making it one of the most promising markets for cement demand, said Arun Shukla, President and Director at JK Lakshmi Cement. The company’s shares closed 0.28 per cent higher at Rs 782.10 on the BSE.

Concrete

Balancing Rapid Economic Growth and Climate Action

Published

1 week ago

November 20, 2025

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Dr Yogendra Kanitkar, VP R&D, and Dr Shirish Kumar Sharma, Assistant Manager R&D, Pi Green Innovations, look at India’s cement industry as it stands at the crossroads of infrastructure expansion and urgent decarbonisation.

The cement industry plays an indispensable role in India’s infrastructure development and economic growth. As the world’s second-largest cement producer after China, India accounts for more than 8 per cent of global cement production, with an output of around 418 million tonnes in 2023–24. It contributes roughly 11 per cent to the input costs of the construction sector, sustains over one million direct jobs, and generates an estimated 20,000 additional downstream jobs for every million tonnes produced. This scale makes cement a critical backbone of the nation’s development. Yet, this vitality comes with a steep environmental price, as cement production contributes nearly 7 per cent of India’s total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
On a global scale, the sector accounts for 8 per cent of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, a figure that underscores the urgency of balancing rapid growth with climate responsibility. A unique challenge lies in the dual nature of cement-related emissions: about 60 per cent stem from calcination of limestone in kilns, while the remaining 40 per cent arise from the combustion of fossil fuels to generate the extreme heat of 1,450°C required for clinker production (TERI 2023; GCCA).
This dilemma is compounded by India’s relatively low per capita consumption of cement at about 300kg per year, compared to the global average of 540kg. The data reveals substantial growth potential as India continues to urbanise and industrialise, yet this projected rise in consumption will inevitably add to greenhouse gas emissions unless urgent measures are taken. The sector is also uniquely constrained by being a high-volume, low-margin business with high capital intensity, leaving limited room to absorb additional costs for decarbonisation technologies.
India has nonetheless made notable progress in improving the carbon efficiency of its cement industry. Between 1996 and 2010, the sector reduced its emissions intensity from 1.12 tonnes of CO2 per ton of cement to 0.719 tonnes—making it one of the most energy-efficient globally. Today, Indian cement plants reach thermal efficiency levels of around 725 kcal/kg of clinker and electrical consumption near 75 kWh per tonne of cement, broadly in line with best global practice (World Cement 2025). However, absolute emissions continue to rise with increasing demand, with the sector emitting around 177 MtCO2 in 2023, about 6 per cent of India’s total fossil fuel and industrial emissions. Without decisive interventions, projections suggest that cement manufacturing emissions in India could rise by 250–500 per cent by mid-century, depending on demand growth (Statista; CEEW).
Recognising this threat, the Government of India has brought the sector under compliance obligations of the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). Cement is one of the designated obligated entities, tasked with meeting aggressive reduction targets over the next two financial years, effectively binding companies to measurable progress toward decarbonisation and creating compliance-driven demand for carbon reduction and trading credits (NITI 2025).
The industry has responded by deploying incremental decarbonisation measures focused on energy efficiency, alternative fuels, and material substitutions. Process optimisation using AI-driven controls and waste heat recovery systems has made many plants among the most efficient worldwide, typically reducing fuel use by 3–8 per cent and cutting emissions by up to 9 per cent. Trials are exploring kiln firing with greener fuels such as hydrogen and natural gas. Limited blends of hydrogen up to 20 per cent are technically feasible, though economics remain unfavourable at present.
Efforts to electrify kilns are gaining international attention. For instance, proprietary technologies have demonstrated the potential of electrified kilns that can reach 1,700°C using renewable electricity, a transformative technology still at the pilot stage. Meanwhile, given that cement manufacturing is also a highly power-intensive industry, several firms are shifting electric grinding operations to renewable energy.
Material substitution represents another key decarbonisation pathway. Blended cements using industrial by-products like fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS) can significantly reduce the clinker factor, which currently constitutes about 65 per cent in India. GGBS can replace up to 85 per cent of clinker in specific cement grades, though its future availability may fall as steel plants decarbonise and reduce slag generation. Fly ash from coal-fired power stations remains widely used as a low-carbon substitute, but its supply too will shrink as India expands renewable power. Alternative fuels—ranging from biomass to solid waste—further allow reductions in fossil energy dependency, abating up to 24 per cent of emissions according to pilot projects (TERI; CEEW).
Beyond these, Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS) technologies are emerging as a critical lever for achieving deep emission cuts, particularly since process emissions are chemically unavoidable. Post-combustion amine scrubbing using solvents like monoethanolamine (MEA) remains the most mature option, with capture efficiencies between 90–99 per cent demonstrated at pilot scale. However, drawbacks include energy penalties that require 15–30 per cent of plant output for solvent regeneration, as well as costs for retrofitting and long-term corrosion management (Heidelberg Materials 2025). Oxyfuel combustion has been tested internationally, producing concentrated CO2-laden flue gas, though the high cost of pure oxygen production impedes deployment in India.
Calcium looping offers another promising pathway, where calcium oxide sorbents absorb CO2 and can be regenerated, but challenges of sorbent degradation and high calcination energy requirements remain barriers (DNV 2024). Experimental approaches like membrane separation and mineral carbonation are advancing in India, with startups piloting systems to mineralise flue gas streams at captive power plants. Besides point-source capture, innovations such as CO2 curing of concrete blocks already show promise, enhancing strength and reducing lifecycle emissions.
Despite progress, several systemic obstacles hinder the mass deployment of CCUS in India’s cement industry. Technology readiness remains a fundamental issue: apart from MEA-based capture, most technologies are not commercially mature in high-volume cement plants. Furthermore, CCUS is costly. Studies by CEEW estimate that achieving net-zero cement in India would require around US$ 334 billion in capital investments and US$ 3 billion annually in operating costs by 2050, potentially raising cement prices between 19–107 per cent. This is particularly problematic for an industry where companies frequently operate at capacity utilisations of only 65–70 per cent and remain locked in fierce price competition (SOIC; CEEW).
Building out transport and storage infrastructure compounds the difficulty, since many cement plants lie far from suitable geological CO2 storage sites. Moreover, retrofitting capture plants onto operational cement production lines adds technical integration struggles, as capture systems must function reliably under the high-particulate and high-temperature environment of cement kilns.
Overcoming these hurdles requires a multi-pronged approach rooted in policy, finance, and global cooperation. Policy support is vital to bridge the cost gap through instruments like production-linked incentives, preferential green cement procurement, tax credits, and carbon pricing mechanisms. Strategic planning to develop shared CO2 transport and storage infrastructure, ideally in industrial clusters, would significantly lower costs and risks. International coordination can also accelerate adoption.
The Global Cement and Concrete Association’s net-zero roadmap provides a collaborative template, while North–South technology transfer offers developing countries access to proven technologies. Financing mechanisms such as blended finance, green bonds tailored for cement decarbonisation and multilateral risk guarantees will reduce capital barriers.
An integrated value-chain approach will be critical. Coordinated development of industrial clusters allows multiple emitters—cement, steel, and chemicals—to share common CO2 infrastructure, enabling economies of scale and lowering unit capture costs. Public–private partnerships can further pool resources to build this ecosystem. Ultimately, decarbonisation is neither optional nor niche for Indian cement. It is an imperative driven by India’s growth trajectory, environmental sustainability commitments, and changing global markets where carbon intensity will define trade competitiveness.
With compliance obligations already mandated under CCTS, the cement industry must accelerate decarbonisation rapidly over the next two years to meet binding reduction targets. The challenge is to balance industrial development with ambitious climate goals, securing both economic resilience and ecological sustainability. The pathway forward depends on decisive governmental support, cross-sectoral innovation, global solidarity, and forward-looking corporate action. The industry’s future lies in reframing decarbonisation not as a burden but as an investment in competitiveness, climate alignment and social responsibility.

References

Infomerics, “Indian Cement Industry Outlook 2024,” Nov 2024.
TERI & GCCA India, “Decarbonisation Roadmap for the Indian Cement Industry,” 2023.
UN Press Release, GA/EF/3516, “Global Resource Efficiency and Cement.”
World Cement, “India in Focus: Energy Efficiency Gains,” 2025.
Statista, “CO2 Emissions from Cement Manufacturing 2023.”
Heidelberg Materials, Press Release, June 18, 2025.
CaptureMap, “Cement Carbon Capture Technologies,” 2024.
DNV, “Emerging Carbon Capture Techniques in Cement Plants,” 2024.
LEILAC Project, News Releases, 2024–25.
PMC (NCBI), “Membrane-Based CO2 Capture in Cement Plants,” 2024.
Nature, “Carbon Capture Utilization in Cement and Concrete,” 2024.
ACS Industrial Engineering & Chemistry Research, “CCUS Integration in Cement Plants,” 2024.
CEEW, “How Can India Decarbonise for a Net-Zero Cement Industry?” (2025).
SOIC, “India’s Cement Industry Growth Story,” 2025.
MDPI, “Processes: Challenges for CCUS Deployment in Cement,” 2024.
NITI Aayog, “CCUS in Indian Cement Sector: Policy Gaps & Way Forward,” 2025.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr Yogendra Kanitkar, Vice President R&D, Pi Green Innovations, drives sustainable change through advanced CCUS technologies and its pioneering NetZero Machine, delivering real decarbonisation solutions for hard-to-abate sectors.

Dr Shirish Kumar Sharma, Assitant Manager R&D, Pi Green Innovations, specialises in carbon capture, clean energy, and sustainable technologies to advance impactful CO2 reduction solutions.