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Forecast: Black, Green or Blah Blah Blah…?

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The entire world was looking at the 26th edition of Conference of Parties (COP26) with high expectations.

The entire world was looking at the 26th edition of Conference of Parties (COP26) with high expectations. With almost 200 countries weighing in with their outlook on carbon emissions, COP26 achieved in voicing opinions but lacked in concrete decisions. The outcome of the summit received mixed reactions – from Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg summarising it as ‘blah blah blah’ to 151 countries submitting their new climate plans to slash their emissions by 2030. However, at the end of it all, it was concluded that climate action is imminent, and we cannot delay it any further.

Intrinsically cement is an energy intensive material and moreover its production uses large amounts of non-renewable materials. The manufacturing of cement generates between 5 to 10 per cent of the harmful anthropogenic gases that impact the climate negatively. With the world production of cement estimated to reach 5 billion tonnes by 2030, there seems to be an alarming situation in the future. Therefore, cement industriesand buildings professionals are advocating for the use of industrial by-products and environment friendly materials that could mitigate the negative impacts threatening sustainable development.

A report by McKinsey states that the cement industry alone is responsible for about a quarter of all industry CO2 emissions, and it also generates the most CO2 emissions per dollar of revenue. This puts cement production at the centre of the eye of the storm. The UK, India, Germany, Canada and UAE have committed to support new markets for low carbon steel, cement and concrete at COP26.

Ian Riley, CEO, World Cement Association, while speaking at the Sustainable Innovation Forum (SIF), called upon governments to encourage faster adoption of low-carbon technologies. This has paved the way for more innovations in the field and I am positive that India will be at the forefront of it with cement manufacturers and technology start-ups pitching in with their respective expertise.

Closer home, there has been a spike in cement prices, which will have a domino effect on the construction industry. According to CRISIL, rising input costs have pushed the cement prices through the roof. All commodities, for various reasons, are on a spiral. Now only demand dynamics can bring stability.

Who would have believed in March 2020 that even in January 2022 we would be seeking succour from the pandemic? Yet by some twist of fate, sustainability and climate change have received larger acceptance during this period.

At Indian Cement Review, we bring you a comprehensive take on decarbonising the cement industry with both Indian and global perspectives in this annual issue. The industry has fared well through the trying times of 2020 and 2021, and while we are poised for a successful and sustainable year 2022, we have a responsibility to fulfil.

Pratap Padode, Founder & Editor in Chief

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Concrete

Molecor Renews OCS Europe Certification Across Spanish Plants

Certification reinforces commitment to preventing microplastic pollution

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Molecor has renewed its OCS Europe certification for another year across all its production facilities in Spain under the Operation Clean Sweep (OCS) voluntary initiative, reaffirming its commitment to sustainability and environmental protection. The renewal underlines the company’s continued focus on preventing the unintentional release of plastic particles during manufacturing, with particular attention to safeguarding marine ecosystems from microplastic pollution.

All Molecor plants in Spain have been compliant with OCS Europe standards for several years, implementing best practices designed to avoid pellet loss and the release of plastic particles during the production of PVC pipes and fittings. The OCS-based management system enables the company to maintain strict operational controls while aligning with evolving regulatory expectations on microplastic prevention.

The renewed certification also positions Molecor ahead of newly published European regulations. The company’s practices are aligned with Regulation (EU) 2025/2365, recently adopted by the European Parliament, which sets out requirements to prevent pellet loss and reduce microplastic pollution across industrial operations.

Extending its sustainability commitment beyond its own operations, Molecor is actively engaging its wider value chain by informing suppliers and customers of its participation in the OCS programme and encouraging responsible microplastic management practices. Through these efforts, the company contributes directly to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 14 ‘Life below water’, reinforcing its role as a responsible industrial manufacturer committed to environmental stewardship and long-term sustainability.

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Coforge Launches AI-Led Data Cosmos Analytics Platform

New cloud-native platform targets enterprise data modernisation and GenAI adoption

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Coforge Limited has recently announced the launch of Coforge Data Cosmos, an AI-enabled, cloud-native data engineering and advanced analytics platform aimed at helping enterprises convert fragmented data environments into intelligent, high-performance data ecosystems. The platform strengthens Coforge’s technology stack by introducing a foundational innovation layer that supports cloud-native, domain-specific solutions built on reusable blueprints, proprietary IP, accelerators, agentic components and industry-aligned capabilities.

Data Cosmos is designed to address persistent enterprise challenges such as data fragmentation, legacy modernisation, high operational costs, limited self-service analytics, lack of unified governance and the complexity of GenAI adoption. The platform is structured around five technology portfolios—Supernova, Nebula, Hypernova, Pulsar and Quasar—covering the full data transformation lifecycle, from legacy-to-cloud migration and governance to cloud-native data platforms, autonomous DataOps and scaled GenAI orchestration.

To accelerate speed-to-value, Coforge has introduced the Data Cosmos Toolkit, comprising over 55 IPs and accelerators and 38 AI agents powered by the Data Cosmos Engine. The platform also enables Galaxy solutions, which combine industry-specific data models with the core technology stack to deliver tailored solutions across sectors including BFS, insurance, travel, transportation and hospitality, healthcare, public sector and retail.

“With Data Cosmos, we are setting a new benchmark for how enterprises convert data complexity into competitive advantage,” said Deepak Manjarekar, Global Head – Data HBU, Coforge. “Our objective is to provide clients with a fast, adaptive and AI-ready data foundation from day one.”

Supported by a strong ecosystem of cloud and technology partners, Data Cosmos operates across multi-cloud and hybrid environments and is already being deployed in large-scale transformation programmes for global clients.

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India, Sweden Launch Seven Low-Carbon Steel, Cement Projects

Joint studies to cut industrial emissions under LeadIT

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India and Sweden have announced seven joint projects aimed at reducing carbon emissions in the steel and cement sectors, with funding support from India’s Department of Science and Technology and the Swedish Energy Agency.

The initiatives, launched under the LeadIT Industry Transition Partnership, bring together major Indian companies including Tata Steel, JK Cement, Ambuja Cements, Jindal Steel and Power, and Prism Johnson, alongside Swedish technology firms such as Cemvision, Kanthal and Swerim. Leading Indian academic institutions, including IIT Bombay, IIT-ISM Dhanbad, IIT Bhubaneswar and IIT Hyderabad, are also participating.

The projects will undertake pre-pilot feasibility studies on a range of low-carbon technologies. These include the use of hydrogen in steel rotary kilns, recycling steel slag for green cement production, and applying artificial intelligence to optimise concrete mix designs. Other studies will explore converting blast furnace carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide for reuse and assessing electric heating solutions for steelmaking.

India’s steel sector currently accounts for about 10–12 per cent of the country’s carbon emissions, while cement contributes nearly 6 per cent. Globally, heavy industry is responsible for roughly one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions and consumes around one-third of total energy.

The collaboration aims to develop scalable, low-carbon industrial technologies that can support India’s net-zero emissions target by 2070. As part of the programme, Tata Steel and Cemvision will examine methods to convert steel slag into construction materials, creating a circular value chain for industrial byproducts.

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