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Cement: Weakened Demand to Impact Capacity Expansion, Profitability

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The sharp decline in demand in FY2021 will delay capacity addition and impact profitability in the cement sector in the medium-term, warns a CRISIL report.

The economic woes caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are likely to result in a marked decline in demand for cement in the current financial year, a report has warned.

The report, Cement Cracks, by CRISIL has warned of a 10-15 decline in the demand for cement in 2020-21 fiscal owing to the rollout of the nationwide lockdown and other social distancing measures. Demand is likely to slowly start picking up traction from 2H2021.

"On a quarterly basis, cement demand would be a washout in the first quarter of this fiscal, given lockdown measures across India that would hurt construction. Demand will pick up only from the second half of this fiscal," Isha Chaudhary and Koustav Mazumdar said in their April 8 report.

The analysts further added that complete recovery would take longer due to lower Capex by government, given diversion of funds towards health and public welfare, weakened demand for real estate and private individual houses and buildings (IHB) and a lower spend under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-Urban) given the impact on incomes. Presently, government-backed projects account for 35-40 per cent of the demand for the commodity.

However, projects in rural housing, PMAY (Rural), Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), and spend on key infrastructure projects will start to provide some relief to the sector from the second half of the year.

"Washout in the first quarter, followed by continued mildness through the seasonally weak second quarter, will weigh on the sector’s growth, leading to a first-ever demand contraction of this proportion for it this fiscal," the report stated.

"Contracting demand growth will push the sector’s utilisation level down further to 56-58 per cent, adding to the pain from the weakening seen in fiscal 2020, when incremental supply exceeded demand by 27 million tonnes (MT)," it added.

CAPACITY EXPANSION, PROFITABILITY TO BE IMPACTED
The demand shock owing to the disruption caused by COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing nationwide efforts towards its containment is expected to affect the capacity addition plans of the industry, and stall or delay projects in the medium-term.

Despite weak demand, the cement industry had registered a decent price increase of Rs 25 per bag in FY2020 owing largely to consolidation in the regional markets by bigger players. This and lower commodity prices are likely to drive margins at cement companies to a seven-year high during the fiscal.

However, the study anticipates the price increase to reverse as players struggle on the demand front. The decline would be limited to 1-2 per cent (or Rs 5-10 per bag) as players exhibit pricing discipline, with realisations declining 2-3 per cent as the share of non-trade is likely to increase.

"Profitability, on its part, is expected to be under pressure after some expansion last fiscal. The impact of demand freefall, though, will be limited by lower input prices, the report said.

Because of directions on social distancing issued by the centre and state governments to prevent infections, leading cement manufacturers like ACC, India Cements, Ramco Cement, Ultra Tech Cement and Dalmia Cement (Bharat) temporarily suspended cement production across their plants in late March.

– Manish Pant

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Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

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Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com

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Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication 

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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. 

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Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, 
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

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