Economy & Market

Logistics is the biggest cost component in the whole chain of RMC business.

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

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More than 80 per cent of concrete produced in developed nations is used as ready- mix. In India, however, it is less than nine per cent. What is stopping the RMC market from taking off? ICR interacts with Bankat Mandhania, Director, Ashtech (India), a leading cement and ready- mix concrete manufacturer in the country, to get some insights. Excerpts from the interview.

How is the RMC market performing?

If you talk about growth, yes it is there as more people are realising the advantages of using RMC. Once someone uses RMC, he is bound to be convinced of the advantages. After this, he will be ready to shell out extra for the product since what is gained in return is good service along with a good product. As per sustainability, the business goes on as there is no entry barrier to the RMC sector. Anybody can set up a RMC unit. So it is open to competition. We do not get premium for a brand name. Leading cement companies are out there in the RMC business, but if you see the revenues, they are not making too much money there. But they are there for sure.

Why is the demand for RMC so little in India compared to foreign countries?

Though the demand is less in India, the RMC market is growing. Yes, it is true that in foreign countries today, 90 per cent of the concrete manufactured is sold in RMC form. Here things are a bit different. If you check Indian markets, almost 70 per cent of the cement is sold in bags. That gives you a comparison between the two. Masons and builders here need to be updated and that takes time. But once the builder uses RMC, he understands the advantage. It also requires some volume of work to be done over a period of time. But those into constructing small buildings and two floor apartments are will not go for RMC. Once we start doing sizeable projects, the construction community will experience the benefits of RMC first- hand.

Is the equipment readily available for RMC production?

You have the entire spectrum of manufacturers in India. You have players from Ahmedabad-based companies catering to local markets and foreign multinationals. There is a vast spectrum of RMC equipment to choose from. All the standard equipment is from standard manufacturers worldwide so you are not compromising on quality of equipment for sure. Availability is not a problem, the choice is there, and any type or size is there.

It is said that crushed sand is not as good as natural sand. What is your take on this?

The natural sand that we are talking about is no longer available. There is no river sand anymore in the area of Mumbai. We are using creek sand which is by itself, never recommended. It is as an alkaline material. River sand was used in the British era, ferried from Gujarat. So Marine Drive and everything that is British- built, was all done with river sand. They got it 60 years back to ensure quality construction; there is no river sand as such in India today. Also, in the name of manufactured sand, we are using powder and that is stone dust. For manufactured sand you need a VSI plant, which has come into Mumbai just a few years ago. Pune is more mature in terms of sand use. They are using crushed sand for plasters too. Now crushed sand manufactures here too, have fantastic gradations available with them.

Are we stuck with the minimum grades of concrete?

The grade of concrete depends on the end application. The more challenging the structural demand, the higher the grade of concrete used is. It is wrong to say we cannot do it. M70 is what we used for the JJ flyover about seven years ago. The Bandra-Worli Sea link is made with M60 grade concrete. All Metros have got M60 specified material. So we are able to manufacture a wide range of concrete. The biggest market here is the residential market where buildings are from four floors to 40 floors. M30 grade concrete will satisfy the structural demands of a four- floor building. The higher the building, the higher the grade requirement is. World One (the worldÂ´s tallest residential tower by the Lodha Group) is using M90; they are producing it and they are doing a good job. We have variations in grade available to suit our requirements and we also have a good knowledge base.

Is skilled workforce available adequately?

We are definitely falling short of good quality manpower. There is a shortage of quality control people, too. We are nowhere near the international standards of an available workforce in terms of quality and in sufficient quantity. In India, people have little option but to compromise on a lot of things. Although the country sees large numbers of engineers graduating every year, very few of them are employable. Whether we can handle this type of concrete demand is a question mark. You have enough civil engineers but are they really employable?

How do you deal with it? Do you have a separate training module for them?

We take two to three civil engineers every year and we mould them. You have to nurture them. Employability or job requirement is something you have to pay attention to and you have to take that effort and make sure that they understand and learn the industryÂ´s requirements. Then, a couple of years down the line, you can give them additional responsibilities. We take fresh engineers every year. When we see candidates with good potential, we create opportunities for them and ensure that they stay with us. Skill shortage is an issue in RMC.

What are the other challenges encountered in the RMC sector?

Logistics is the biggest cost component in the whole chain. The transit mixer costs almost Rs 30 lakh and it can deliver only that much quantity in a day. The stronger the asset base, the better the company, and it can be relied upon by the consumer as a supplier. It works both ways. You have to ensure that the deliveries are made on time and that the material is poured as per schedule irrespective of hassles such as traffic or roadblocks. The system must be robust enough to absorb and respond to any issue that can pop up on the fly.

So how do you manage this?

We have 74 transit mixers and 24 pumps. We follow a process of sending a questionnaire to our consumer that asks for all the details including the peak requirement for the material. Based on this, we design equipment required for the work. That determines if there are going to be two slabs every day for one site, so a minimum of two pumps and seven transit mixers are required, and that too, if the site is close. But if the same site is far away, I will need 12 transit mixers. So having a complete understanding of the customer`s requirement and a solid contingency plan in place is key in this business.

Economy & Market

Leonard Unveils Dual-Head Robotic Arm for Hazardous Industrial Demolition

Published

5 days ago

October 30, 2026

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Leonard unveils Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve industrial safety and reduce shutdown time by up to 50 per cent.

Industrial robotics and refractory services specialist Leonard has launched Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve safety, accelerate maintenance and reduce shutdown times in hazardous industrial environments. The system made its debut at Lisahally Power Station in Northern Ireland, removing 25 tonnes of slag material within hours.

Developed for the cement, metals, waste-to-energy and petrochemical industries, Descender Duo enables remote-controlled refractory demolition, anchor cutting and welding, and refractory spraying inside boilers, calciners and silos. Its vertical-access design eliminates the need for personnel to enter confined, high-risk spaces during these operations.

Weighing less than two tonnes, the pre-assembled system requires an access opening of just 1.2 m². Supported by an external overhead hoist, it uses electrically operated hydraulic stabilising legs to secure itself inside vessels. The robotic arm offers 360-degree rotation and is suited to vessels approximately 9 m in diameter, with its operating reach extendable through strategically positioned access points.

Equipped with two independently controlled robotic heads, Descender Duo can perform identical or different tasks simultaneously, including refractory demolition, anchor cutting and spraying. Its remote-control system incorporates live camera feeds, allowing operators to monitor operations without entering hazardous environments.

According to Leonard, the technology can deliver time savings of up to 50 per cent compared with manual methods. Its ability to operate at temperatures exceeding 100°C allows maintenance to begin as early as 24 hours after burner shutdown. An all-electric power supply further supports cleaner and more cost-efficient operations.

First Deployment Demonstrates Shutdown Efficiency

The system was first deployed at Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor’s (BWSC) Lisahally Power Station in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The facility generates electricity from grade C waste wood, supplying approximately 40,000 homes and businesses.

Leonard and BWSC collaborated to develop a customised solution for the plant’s 26-metre furnace, where extensive external pipework created significant access challenges.

Mark Leonard, Managing Director, Leonard, said, “It required new thinking and rather than step away from the problem we were committed to solving it for the customer, with the customer. We’re relentless in our approach to tackling complex challenges, head-on. We took our years of cement plant experience, coupled with our working knowledge of the BWSC plant, and designed, engineered and tested a completely new vertical solution within just seven weeks from that initial conversation with the customer. That solution was the Descender Duo as we know it today.”

Traditionally, the furnace required a cooling period of up to 36 hours before preparatory work could begin, followed by manual slag removal using rope-access personnel. With Descender Duo, work commenced just 24 hours after shutdown, reducing downtime by up to one day.

The deployment removed 25 tonnes of slag within hours, eliminated the need for at least six workers to enter the hazardous furnace interior and saved 26 hours in the shutdown programme.

“The effectiveness exceeded expectation,” said Martin Doran, Plant Manager at Lisahally Power Station.

“When the Descender Duo concept was first discussed, we had to spend some time with the team from Leonard looking at how it was going to be moved into the furnace. Every site is different and that presented its own challenges, but nothing that the team couldn’t overcome. Once it was installed we were hugely impressed by its efficiency.”

Expanding Industrial Robotics Applications

Descender Duo joins Leonard’s existing portfolio of robotic maintenance solutions, including the Axis horizontal-access arm, Nano confined-space access arm, Charger cement mill media recharging system and Calibre cement mill media grading system.

Headquartered in Northern Ireland, Leonard provides robotic refractory demolition, installation, inspection and industrial maintenance services across the cement, metals, energy, biomass, glass and civil engineering sectors.

Formerly known as G Leonard, the company has more than 35 years of industry experience and operates across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The latest innovation reinforces Leonard’s focus on replacing hazardous manual processes with robotic systems that improve workforce safety, enhance operational efficiency and minimise industrial downtime.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

5 days ago

October 30, 2026

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Martin Engineering names Ashwini Khunte India General Manager to strengthen operations and drive growth across key bulk material handling sectors.

Pune

Martin Engineering, a global provider of bulk material handling solutions, has appointed Ashwini Khunte as General Manager of its India business, strengthening its leadership as the company expands its presence across the country’s cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure sectors.

Khunte brings more than a decade of experience with Martin Engineering, having joined its Indian operations in 2013 as a Design Engineer, shortly after the company established its presence in the country in 2012.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, she spent her initial five years developing bulk material handling solutions in collaboration with the company’s operations team. During this period, she gained extensive experience addressing operational challenges in the steel, cement and coal industries. She subsequently moved into project engineering, managing major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) projects from initial enquiry to commissioning. Her responsibilities later expanded to overseeing Martin Engineering’s conveyor product portfolio in India, involving customer engagement, technical presentations and site visits across heavy industries.

In 2024, Khunte was promoted to Head of Sales & Marketing for the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) region. The position broadened her international market exposure and strengthened her strategic and commercial leadership capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashwini Khunte, General Manager, Martin Engineering India, said: “India represents a tremendous opportunity for Martin Engineering. The country’s continued investment in cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure is creating increasing demand for safer, cleaner and more productive bulk material handling, and that’s exactly what we do. My priority will be to build on the strong foundations already established in India, while continuing to develop our people, strengthen customer relationships and bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by our industry.”

Robert Whetstone, Area Vice President – EMEAI, Martin Engineering, highlighted Khunte’s technical expertise, market understanding and leadership experience.

“Ashwini brings an exceptional combination of technical understanding, customer knowledge and commercial leadership. She has grown as Martin Engineering has grown, and has consistently demonstrated outstanding capability to transform her expertise into practical solutions. Her knowledge of the Indian market, together with her international experience, makes her ideally suited to lead our India business through its next stage of growth for years to come.”

Since establishing its Indian business in 2012, Martin Engineering has expanded its local workforce, manufacturing capabilities and dealership network. The company supplies conveyor products, transfer point solutions, material flow aids, training and technical support to bulk material handling industries. Khunte’s appointment positions the company to further strengthen customer relationships and expand its solutions portfolio in India’s growing industrial and infrastructure markets.

Concrete

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

Published

2 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

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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