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India follows Japanese tech in manufactured sand segmen

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Manufactured sand is fulfilling 50 per cent of the total demand for sand being used in concrete mixtures in the country.

Manufactured sand is fulfilling 50 per cent of the total demand for sand being used in concrete mixtures in the country. Sanjay Nikam, CEO and Principal Business Consultant with Suru09 Business Services, feels that with the shortfall in river sand, the demand for m-sand will accelerate manifolds.

Can you explain the different types of sand?

There are different kinds of sands. For instance, the crush stone sand is a fine aggregate produced by crushing hard stone. The crush grail sand is a fine aggregate produced by crushing natural gravel; mix sand is a mix of the two. Then there is manufactured sand which is produced from resources other than natural resources

What are the key challenges faced by the manufactured sand industry?

The industry is facing many challenges. First and foremost is the challenge being the paucity of a uniform regulation pan India. Presently, different state governments have different licensing provisions, norms for royalty payments, sand dredging, etc. This results in disparity, cost undercutting and the easy availability of low-grade sand at cheaper rates in the market. Secondly, the crush quarry are smaller in size (25-50 acres) as compared to a cement mining area that can range beyond 1000 acres. That means one cannot have bigger area of operations. The output from these crusher plants range from 25,000 to 40,000 tons a month. Thirdly, logistics and local issues play a key role in this industry essentially because we are located very close to the city.

What is the ratio of aggregates and m-sand used in concrete?

In concrete, for every ton of cement used, the ration of aggregates used is 7 to 10 times higher. Of this, 50 percent is sand. For e.g., if the requirement of sand is 15,000 million tons, manufactured sand constitutes 50 percent.

Manufactured sand consumption has picked up from 2008, and the uptake was faster because of a decline in the volume of supplied river sand. While river sand registered a negative CAGR (-2 percent), the manufactured sand is registering a CAGR of 35 percent for the past couple of years. Fine aggregate offers better benefit and value than the coarse aggregator.

What kind of investments or expansion plans are you witnessing in the m-sand segment?

Realizing the poetical of the segment, there is a steady flow of investments. The number of players in m-sand segment has increased which encourages healthy competition. Also, there are players who are looking at aggregators and m-sand as apart of portfolio diversification. Globally if you take the leading cement players, they are present in the cement, RMC and aggregator segments. The trend will soon follow in India.

You mentioned changing global trends in the usage of m-sand. Can you elaborate further?

Globally, Japan is the first country to develop technology in the engineered sand segment because of the shortage of river sand. In Asia, China took the first move in the same direction because of the shortfall faced. Now that India also has challenges with river sand, the country has adopted Japanese technology to manufacture m- sand in the country. The adoption of m-sand in Europe and US is comparatively lower as governments in these continents have not imposed restriction on river sand dredging.

Renjini Liza Varghese

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Concrete

Andhra Pradesh Clears Rs. 30 bn My Home Cement Plant

Project receives incentives of up to Rs. 11.29 bn from state

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The Andhra Pradesh government has approved a greenfield cement project worth Rs. 30 bn by My Home Industries, along with incentives of up to Rs. 11.29 bn. The decision comes amid a political controversy in Telangana involving allegations about landholdings associated with My Home Group.

According to an Industries and Commerce Department order issued on September 25, 2026, the project is expected to create 2,000 jobs and begin commercial production by March 2029. The proposed facility will have capacity to produce 3.5 MTPA of clinker and 3.5 MTPA of cement.

The total investment includes fixed capital investment of Rs. 25.97 bn, pre-operative expenses of Rs. 2.23 bn, contingencies of Rs. 1.26 bn and working capital margin of Rs. 540 mn. The incentive package is capped at Rs. 11.29 bn, equivalent to up to 43.48 per cent of fixed capital investment, subject to completion of the committed investment by March 2029.

The package includes a capital subsidy of 39 per cent of eligible fixed capital investment, capped at Rs. 9.43 bn, payable over 10 years from the start of commercial production. It also provides reimbursement of Rs. 1 per unit on electricity purchased from distribution companies for 10 years, subject to a ceiling of Rs. 1.86 bn. A further incentive equivalent to 2 per cent of fixed capital investment is linked to the creation of the committed jobs and other policy conditions.

The state has approved the allotment of 27.19 acres through the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation at actual cost. The project also involves land linked to two temples and the realignment of a canal across approximately 9.93 acres, with conditions requiring alternative temple facilities and company-funded infrastructure work. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has separately raised allegations concerning land associated with My Home Group, including 2,463 acres near Shamshabad. The allegations remain subject to verification through official records and any investigations.

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Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas, CleanMax Partner for Wind-Solar Hybrid Project in Rajasthan

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The project – comprising 20 MW of wind and 26.4 MWdc of solar capacity – will support Nuvoco’s cement operations with cleaner power while strengthening its renewable energy and decarbonisation strategy.

Mumbai, September 29, 2026

Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, part of Nirma Group and one of India’s leading cement companies, has partnered with Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions Limited (CleanMax), a renewable energy solutions provider for the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, to develop a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid renewable energy project in Rajasthan.

The project will support Nuvoco’s cement operations with cleaner power while strengthening its renewable energy and decarbonisation strategy. It is expected to increase the share of renewable energy in Nuvoco’s power mix, reducing fossil fuel consumption and associated emissions.

Developed by CleanMax, an Independent Power Producer (IPP), at Bhikamkhore, Rajasthan, the project will comprise 20 MW of wind capacity and 26.4 MWdc of solar capacity, along with a 2-MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Power generated from the facility will be supplied to Nuvoco through the State Transmission Utility (STU) Open Access network.

The hybrid project is expected to generate approximately 100 million units (MU) of renewable electricity annually and help avoid around 1,25,485 tonnes of CO₂ emissions every year across Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

The initiative supports Nuvoco’s ongoing efforts to reduce the carbon intensity of its manufacturing operations through renewable energy adoption, Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), energy-efficiency measures and increased use of alternative fuels. It also aligns with the company’s DIRE (Digitalisation, Innovation and Renewables) agenda, which focuses on climate action, renewable energy transition, water stewardship, circularity and biodiversity conservation across its manufacturing ecosystem.

Commenting on the initiative, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, said, “This marks an important step in advancing Nuvoco’s journey towards more sustainable and resilient operations. Our collaboration with CleanMax will increase the share of renewable energy across our Rajasthan operations, strengthening our energy mix while improving long-term cost efficiency and reducing our dependence on conventional power sources. Initiatives such as these reinforce our commitment to operational excellence and responsible growth, while supporting our vision of Building a Safer, Smarter and Sustainable World.”

Kuldeep Jain, Founder and Managing Director, CleanMax, said, “Cement plants run continuously, so the power behind them has to be dependable for decades, not years. We’re seeing manufacturing industries view clean energy as an integral part of their core operations and long-term strategy. Our partnership with Nuvoco reflects that shift, and we’re pleased to support its decarbonisation journey. This wind-solar hybrid project is designed to deliver long-term cost certainty while supporting the Company’s transition to cleaner power.”

Nuvoco has been advancing its sustainability initiatives through renewable energy, operational efficiency and technology-driven solutions. The company operates across Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete (RMX) and Modern Building Materials (MBM) segments, with a presence across East, North and West India.

The company began operations in 2014 with a greenfield cement plant in Nimbol, Rajasthan, and later acquired Lafarge India Limited, which entered India in 1999, along with Emami Cement Ltd in 2020 and Vadraj Cement Limited in April 2025. With planned expansion initiatives, including a new grinding mill at the Arasmeta Cement Plant and multiple debottlenecking projects, Nuvoco aims to achieve a cement capacity of 35 MMTPA.

The company reported total income of Rs 113.62 billion in FY 2025-26, reflecting its continued growth trajectory. Its cement portfolio includes Concreto, Duraguard, Double Bull, PSC, Nirmax and Infracem brands, while its RMX business offers products under Concreto, Artiste, InstaMix, X-Con and Ecodure brands. Nuvoco also provides construction solutions under its Zero M range of modern building materials.

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Concrete

UltraTech Unit Runs Entirely on Green Energy

Kukurdih Cement Works meets its full electricity needs through green energy.

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UltraTech Cement has achieved a decarbonisation milestone, with its integrated Kukurdih Cement Works in Chhattisgarh meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through green energy every month since April 2026.
Commissioned in 2024, the plant has an installed grey cement capacity of 3.3 million tonnes per annum. It meets its entire electricity requirement through a combination of renewable power sourcing and Waste Heat Recovery Systems (WHRS), while maintaining operational reliability.
Since April 2026, nearly a third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements. Five units, including Kukurdih Cement Works, have exceeded 95 per cent green energy utilisation.
UltraTech is also progressively deploying Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across its manufacturing network to enable deeper integration of renewable energy. The company has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.
As of Q1FY27, UltraTech’s captive green energy capacity stood at 1,897 MW, comprising 1,463 MW of renewable capacity across solar, wind and hybrid sources, and 434 MW of WHRS capacity.
Under its RE100 commitment, UltraTech aims to increase green power’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050.

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