Technology

Here’s how Shree Cement uses IT to decrease TAT by 60%

Published

4 years ago

October 21, 2021

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In conversation with ETCIO, Manoranjan Kumar, CIO, Shree Cement, shares the company’s journey of reducing turnaround time in supply chain and logistics from 8 hours to 4 hours. Riya Pahuja

With 4 mines, 10 grinding units and more than 4200 customers all over India,Shree Cement claims to be the biggest cement company in India.

Shree Cement runs on Oracle ERP and uses BI tools for analytics and dashboard purposes. One major area where the company has leveraged technology to increase business efficiency is supply chain management. It uses RFID technology to digitalise the supply chain.

"Across all our plants and grinding units, cement and raw materials are being grinded and packed further for distribution purpose. These plants and grinding units are connected for various data communication and ERP communication purposes," says Manoranjan Kumar, CIO, Shree Cement.

Automation in plants
One of the major areas that needed transformation was supply chain and logistics. Shree Cement implemented IoT in the plants and RFID chips in trucks.

Kumar says, "It earlier took 8 hours for a truck to get through loading and security checks because the entire process was done manually. From checking, verification, movement, loading to payment, everything was manual. We decided to eliminate a lot of this work by deploying IoT."

The cement company automated the entire process from the beginning to the end. Every truck is registered and given an RFID tag. Through these tags, Shree Cement can track the trucks’ movements. The moment a truck gets into the yard, parking space is allotted to it.

"The trucks simply come and coordinates are registered in seconds for packing. The plants are aware of the number of trucks and their order numbers. Based on this, we create support tickets for packing and forwarding. These are allotted to a truck driver through SMS. They have park their vehicles in the allotted slots and the loading is done," Kumar says.

Explaining how this decreased the TAT, Kumar says, "Automated systems generate payment slips, rechecking is done by security people, then the truck moves out for delivery. This has reduced the total turnaround from 8 hrs to 3 hrs. The 5 hrs reduction of turnaround time has increased our productivity. Hence, we are able to dispatch more now. We have plants which are capable of loading more trucks. Since the plant can run on its full capacity, we can increase the production levels too. IoT implementation has given us good ROI".

Once trucks move out from the plant, they are tracked through a GPS system. With this the customers (dealers) are notified about their order. The system transmits communication that informs the dealer about the shipment of their order from the plant. It further helps them track their order in real time. This has also helped the dealers to plan for unloading at their storage destinations.

"We have a fully connected system, from plant to the customer. The system is connected to cloud storage which helps us analyse if there are some delays. Since we have the trucks outsourced, we also get to know which contractor is delaying and why there are delays. Based on this analysis we know which particular transporter is doing good or bad and why. Furthermore, it helps create differential rates for them," says Kumar.

Future Plans
"We are also planning to enhance dealer experience through a portal that allows them to download their invoices and credit notes. Through this, the dealers would not have to call the support centre," he avers.

"Today, we send out the credit notes and invoices via courier to customers. The challenge with this is that they get misplaced or mishandled. Once this is digitised, these can be downloaded directly from the portal and further used for GST reconciliation and getting GST credited," Kumar concludes.

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

3 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

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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

3 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

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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

3 weeks ago

October 15, 2025

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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.