As India commits to net zero target for Year 2070, decarbonisation of the Indian cement industry is mandatory.
As India commits to net zero target for Year 2070, decarbonisation of the Indian cement industry is mandatory. With decreasing CO2 emissions in 2021, the goal of reduction in carbon intensity looks promising, provided proactive steps are taken and implemented, shares Dr. BN Mohapatra, Director General of National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM).
Honourable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has made a pledge to cut the CO2 emissions in the recently concluded COP26 summit at Glasgow in November 2021and for the first time, he has set a Net Zero target for India by the year 2070. The US and EU have aimed to hit net zero by 2050, while China has announced plans for carbon neutrality by 2060. Earlier, India under the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in December 2015, committed to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level and to achieve 40 per cent of installed power capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030. In November 2021, India has already reached an emission reduction of 28 per cent and has met the 40 per cent target of non-fossil fuel-based installed power capacity as per the commitment in COP21.
Globally, the cement sector generates about 7 per cent of the total anthropogenic emissions. In hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel, chemicals, etc, it is technologically very difficult to reduce the process related to Greenhouse Gases (GHG). The Indian cement industry has been working on the issue of its GHG emissions and has brought down the CO2 emission factor from 1.12 t of CO2/t of cement in 1996 to 0.670 t of CO2/t of cement in 2017. The proactive steps taken by Indian cement industry has contributed to achieve the goal of reduction in carbon intensity. Further, to achieve the target of net zero, decarbonisation of the Indian cement industry is required.
Recently, in October 2021, the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) has published a Cement and Concrete Roadmap 2050 for the net zero concrete. In the roadmap, it is envisaged to produce carbon neutral concrete by 2050 and a sectoral commitment to cut CO2 emissions by a further 25 per cent by 2030. The world’s leading cement and concrete companies including major cement companies in India like UltraTech Cement Ltd., Holcim Group, Shree Cement Ltd., Dalmia Cement (B) Ltd., JK Cement Ltd, JSW Cement, Orient Cement Ltd. have accepted the goal to achieve net zero concrete by 2050 and committed to fully contribute to building the sustainable world of tomorrow. Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd, the fourth largest cement company in India has committed to become carbon negative by 2040 and working on its roadmap to use 100 per cent biomass and capturing the biogenic CO2 emissions.
Energy efficiency
Decarbonisation of the energy requirement of the entire cement industry is not possible only through renewable electricity since the cement industry requires high-grade heat for manufacturing. Hydrogen, which is a clean and green energy carrier, can play a crucial role for this energy transition. Green hydrogen can be used to replace fossil fuel in cement manufacturing processes as a source of thermal heat. Currently, 96 per cent of hydrogen used for industrial applications as fuel is obtained from fossils (natural gas, oil, coal), and the remaining 4 per cent is through electrolysis. Electrolysis through renewable sources like solar and wind routes can increase this share significantly and renewable hydrogen obtained will be a more sustainable option for the future. One of the cement plants in the UK has recently done a feasibility study for 50 per cent hydrogen along with 50 per cent biomass as fuel in cement rotary kilns.
One of the important challenges for decarbonisation of the cement industry worldwide is to reduce the process emissions arising out of calcination of limestone. Carbon Capture and Utilisation, by capturing/separating the CO2 emissions arising from the calcination process and utilisation of the captured CO2, is the only solution. Several studies and start-ups worldwide are working to find cost effective energy efficient ways to capture CO2 from flue gases. Utilisation of hydrogen as fuel will also help in capturing/separation of process CO2. Thus, green hydrogen can act as an alternative fuel for cement plants and will play a major role in the decarbonisation of the cement sector.
The journey towards decarbonisation of Indian cement industry started in 2012 with preparation of a Low Carbon Technology Roadmap specifically for the industry, when International Energy Agency (IEA) and Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI), in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) prepared this document. Direct CO2 emissions are targeted to be further reduced to 0.35 t CO2/t of cement by 2050. The identified levers in the low carbon technology roadmap of Indian cement industry are (i) Substitution of Clinker, (ii) Alternate Fuel and Raw Materials, (iii) Improving Energy Efficiency, (iv) Installation of Waste Heat Recovery and (v) Newer technologies like Renewable Energy, Novel Cements, Carbon Capture and Storage/Utilisation.
To mitigate the problem, enormous endeavour so far have been made by responsible industries, research bodies and academia, to reduce CO2 emission from cement production process by developing new technological solutions, thus, continually stepping towards reducing the environmental footprint of cement production and making it more and more sustainable. Blended cements so far have stood the test of time and are found to offer significant performance advantages along with environmental mitigation in terms of reduced emission, natural resource conservation and waste utilisation. NCB, being a premier R&D organisation, is devoted to environmental sustainability and is carrying out several studies for development of low lime and low energy cements to mitigate carbon footprint during cement production and conservation of natural resources by exploring alternate raw materials and unconventional SCMs in development of blended cements. Some of the important projects currently undertaken at NCB for blended cement are discussed here:
a) Development of belite calcium sulpho-aluminate cement using low grade limestone and industrial waste
The Portland cement clinker manufactured by the Indian cement industry is almost a century old clinker, the production of which is quite energy intensive, emission releasing and majorly dependent on our natural resources. Belite sulfoaluminate clinkers (BCSA) are an alternative for sustainability of limestone reserves and CO2 emissions compared to the Portland Clinker. In addition, these materials require lower operating temperature of the kilns, ~1250ºC and they are easily ground due to their higher porosity. Presently, NCB has successfully conducted laboratory scale trials on preparation of the new clinker with the conventional raw materials being used for Portland clinker. The production process of BSAC requires sulphate sources such as gypsum or anhydrite as major raw materials. Additionally, the BCSA clinker is formed at a temperature of 1250°C resulting in thermal saving of 200°C, thereby, reducing CO2 emissions up to 30 per cent. The prepared new clinker has predominance of belite phase, and a new calcium sulpho-aluminate phase called as yeliminite phase in it. Besides trials on preparation of new clinker with conventional and natural raw materials, NCB has also succeeded in the utilisation of industrial by-products like Jarosite as a substitute for sulphate source with the use of low-grade limestone as the source of lime and silica.
b) Investigations on development of Portland composite cements based on fly ash and limestone
The blended cements, which are produced using more than one mineral addition, are known as composite cements. Fly ash conforming to IS 3812 (Part 1): 2003 and granulated blast furnace slag conforming to IS 12089: 1987 are used in the manufacture of composite cements (16415-2015) with 15-35 per cent and 20-50 per cent. respectively. Presently there is almost complete utilisation of granulated blast furnace slag in India. However, utilisation of fly ash in manufacture of PPC is still only 25 per cent out of around 232 million tonnes generated annually. Additionally, India has large reserves of low grade, dolomitic and siliceous limestones, manufacture of limestone and fly ash based composite cements will reduce the impact of CO2 on environment, utilisation of industrial wastes and enable production of cements with lower clinker factor leading to resource conservation, enhanced waste utilisation and greater sustainability in cement manufacture. In this study, Portland composite cement blends were prepared (140 nos) with four types of clinker from different regions of India along with the regional available fly ash (15-35 per cent) and limestone (5, 7 and 10 per cent). The results depicted that the clinker quality plays an important role on performance of limestone and fly ash based composite cements. The mortar studies indicated Portland composite cements based on limestone and fly ash with 35 per cent replacement of clinker by fly ash and limestone (keeping limestone content upto 7 per cent in it). Hydration studies showed Monocarboaluminate (Ca4Al2O6 2 CO3 2 11H2O) was found in the samples containing FA and LS, and the intensity of these peaks tend to be stronger when the amount of limestone is increased.
c) Portland Limestone Cement (PLC)
European standard EN-197-1 permits the use of 35 per cent, max limestone (CaCO3≥75 per cent) in the manufacture of PLC. This type of cements is not being standardised in India. NCB has taken up the studies to investigate the feasibility of using different grades of limestone in development of PLC and for its standardisation by Bureau of Indian Standards. In the study, five different OPC clinkers and eight samples of limestone (covering cement, dolomitic and low grade) samples were procured from five different cement plants located in different geographical locations of the country. Blends of OPC and PLC were prepared in the NCB laboratory by inter grinding clinker, limestone and gypsum. Comprehensive study on these blends was carried using physical, chemical and mineralogical characterisation. It has been found that characteristics of PLCs are related to clinker and limestone quality. The study concluded that limestone addition mainly influences the compressive strength of mortar and concrete, however, limestone addition of appropriate quality and fineness up to 15 per cent could be possible.
d) Utilisation of high magnesia limestone for making high magnesia clinker for blended cement
The total blended cement production in India is about 73 per cent and the clinker used for its manufacture has to confirm to the clinker specification IS 16353- 2015 where maximum permissible limit of MgO is 6 per cent. The limit of MgO content in PPC and PSC as per Indian standard are 6 per cent and 10 per cent respectively and the clinker factor in these blended cements are comparatively low in respect to the OPC. Therefore, there is a possibility to increase the MgO content in the clinker sample beyond the specified limits for the manufacturing of such blended cement. This will help in further enhancement in blended cement production and thus CO2 abatement. The results of investigation revealed that addition of fly ash and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) in the blended cements prepared from high MgO clinker samples were found to have potential effect on arresting the expansion caused by periclase (MgO). The minimum fly ash content was optimised to be 25 per cent by weight in case of PPC and the minimum slag content was optimised to be 35 per cent in case PSC while utilising high MgO clinker for the manufacture of blended cement.
Substitution of clinker will remain the important lever for decarbonisation of the Indian cement industry. The outcome of NCB studies will help in providing more options for production of blended cements.
About the author:
Dr. BN Mohapatra is the Director General of National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM).He is a Phd in Cement Mineral Chemistry, enriched with 13 years of research and development and over 22 years of industry experience with a strong academic relations with premier institutes. He is the chairman of the Cement Sectoral Committee of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE).
Indian Cement Review (ICR) and Fuller Technologies brought industry, policy and technology leaders together to discuss how cement innovation can drive green construction at scale, writes Rakesh Rao.
India is building at a pace few countries can match. Highways, airports, housing, logistics parks, industrial corridors and urban infrastructure are reshaping the country’s economic geography. But beneath this growth story lies a difficult question: can India continue to build at scale without locking itself into a high-carbon future?
That question formed the core of an online panel discussion titled “Driving Green Construction Through Cement Innovation”, organised by Indian Cement Review (ICR) in association with Fuller Technologies as the Presenting Partner on June 25, 2026. The webinar brought together experts from cement technology, R&D, global industry platforms, building performance policy and international development cooperation to examine how low-carbon cement and material innovation can accelerate India’s green construction transition.
The discussion came at a crucial time. India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and reducing the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030. At the same time, the country’s construction sector is expanding rapidly, driven by urbanisation, infrastructure development, housing demand and industrial growth. Cement, as one of the most widely used construction materials, sits at the heart of this transition. It is indispensable to development, but also central to the challenge of reducing embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure.
Moderated by Nitika Krishan, Senior Urban Infrastructure and Sustainable Policy Consultant, the panel featured:
Dr Hemantkumar Aiyer, VP and Head R&D, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd;
Devika Wattal, Innovation Lead, Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA);
Dr Sunita Purushottam, MD, GBPN India (Global Buildings Performance Network); and
Vaibhav Rathi, Senior Technical Advisor, GIZ (the German Agency for International Cooperation)
Setting the tone for the discussion, Nitika Krishan underlined the scale of the challenge before the sector. “The question before us is no longer whether we build, but how we build sustainably,” she said. She pointed out that construction accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions when both operational and embodied carbon are considered. Cement production, she added, remains one of the hardest industrial processes to decarbonise.
For India, this is not merely an environmental issue. It is a development issue, a competitiveness issue and increasingly, a market issue. As one of the world’s largest cement producers and among the fastest-growing construction markets, India’s material choices will influence the carbon trajectory of its built environment for decades. As Krishan observed, sustainability solutions in economies such as India must not remain limited to laboratory success. They must be scalable, commercially viable and practical at national level.
The innovation gap: From technology to market
Experts believe that there is a need to bridge the innovation gaps for making decarbonisation in cement and concrete scalable. Devika Wattal of GCCA, explained, “The starting point must be the core cement manufacturing process itself. The first and foremost is the heart of our process, the heart of cement manufacturing. How do we reduce clinker? That is always a topic where industry is working very intrinsically.”
Clinker reduction remains one of the most important pathways for lowering emissions in cement. Since clinker production is energy-intensive and chemically emits carbon dioxide, reducing the clinker factor through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), blended cements and new chemistries can have a significant impact. Wattal also noted that carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will have a role, though it may not be the first lever for all markets.
However, she stressed that innovation cannot stop at technology development. A solution that works in the lab must also be adaptable to industry, scalable in production and acceptable in construction practice. “It is important for that innovation to be adaptable, to be scalable, and so that it can be executed in real time,” she said.
Wattal also called for stronger enabling systems around innovation. These include performance-based standards, product-level embodied carbon databases and clearer frameworks for evaluating green materials. Without these, low-carbon cement products may struggle to compete with conventional materials in procurement and design.
R&D must balance carbon, cost and performance
Bringing in the R&D perspective into the discussion, Dr Hemantkumar Aiyer of Nuvoco Vistas emphasised that low-carbon cement development cannot be treated as a single-variable exercise. Cement must perform in real construction conditions. It must deliver strength, durability, consistency and cost competitiveness, while also reducing carbon.
“The root of understanding and balancing all these aspects lies in materials, and knowing the materials,” he said.
According to Dr Aiyer, R&D teams must understand the variability of raw materials such as fly ash, slag and clinker. Different sources produce different material behaviours. This makes mix optimisation, material characterisation and processing-property relationships critical. When performance is affected, cement manufacturers must understand how strength enhancers, admixtures and other performance chemicals interact with the material system.
He also linked material science with process efficiency. Clinkerisation takes place at extremely high temperatures, around 1,400 to 1,450 degrees Celsius. Any improvement in raw mix design, process control or energy optimisation can, therefore, help reduce emissions and cost. Dr Aiyer pointed to artificial intelligence-based optimisation, Cement 4.0 tools and advanced software as important enablers for real-time process and material control.
“The more you understand the materials, the more you can control it,” he said.
LC3: The promise is proven, the sequencing is not
Limestone calcined clay cement, commonly referred to as LC3, has attracted global attention because it can reduce clinker content significantly by using calcined clay and limestone while maintaining performance in many applications. Kiranmai Sanagavarapu of Fuller Technologies said the technology itself has already moved beyond proof of concept. Fuller Technologies has worked with calcined clay technology for nearly two decades and has seen plants running in France and Ghana. These plants, she said, are meeting local and national specifications, while the economics are beginning to make sense.
“The calciner is performing, the economics is stacking up, it is making business sense to produce,” she said.
But if the technology is viable, why has adoption not scaled faster? For Sanagavarapu, the answer lies in project sequencing. Too often, clay characterisation happens after equipment is specified. This, she warned, is a backward approach because calciner design depends on clay mineralogy, kaolinite content, iron levels, reactivity, moisture and other variables.
“If you don’t know what your deposit looks like before you commit for the equipment, you are, in a way, going blind into designing,” she said.
She also identified permitting and plant integration as major bottlenecks. Environmental clearances, mining permissions and local regulatory approvals must begin early. Similarly, calcined clay must be integrated into existing grinding, blending and logistics systems from the design stage, not treated as an afterthought during commissioning.
India already has IS 18189:2023 standard for LC3, but Sanagavarapu pointed out that the standard is not yet visible enough in procurement documents. “The gap between what is technically being permitted and what the procurement is asking is the single biggest bottleneck,” she said.
In her view, successful scale-up depends on getting the sequence right: clay characterisation first, permitting in parallel, standards aligned with construction, and integration built into plant design.
India’s LC3 journey: Progress, but demand remains thin
Providing details of India’s LC3 commercialisation experience, Vaibhav Rathi of GIZ noted that JK Cement carried out the first commercial production of LC3 at its Rajasthan plant, followed by JK Lakshmi Cement three months later. These initiatives were supported by the International Climate Initiative of the Government of Germany, with IIT Delhi contributing deep institutional knowledge on LC3 research and BIS certification.
Rathi said India’s early experience has produced clear lessons. One of the biggest was the need to build capacity among regulators. While BIS certification existed, State Pollution Control Boards were unfamiliar with the technology and unsure about the approval pathway.
“The capacity building is not just needed amongst the producer and the users of the cement, but also the regulators who are working with this technology for the first time,” he said.
He also highlighted the need for better information on China clay deposits. Since China clay is currently classified as a minor mineral, centralised data on availability, quality and location is limited. If cement manufacturers are to adopt LC3 at scale, stronger mineral intelligence will be important.
The third issue is demand. LC3 has already been used in projects such as Palava City in Mumbai and Noida International Airport, but these remain limited examples. “It is in a chicken and egg situation,” Rathi said. “Cement companies are saying we need more demand, and users are saying there is not enough cement available.”
Public procurement, he suggested, could help break this cycle. If agencies such as CPWD and other public bodies begin testing, accepting and specifying LC3, it could create the market confidence needed for cement companies to invest in production and storage.
Building codes must catch up with innovation
Dr Sunita Purushottam of GBPN India argued that material choices will determine built environment emissions over the long term, but India’s current policy signals remain fragmented. Although LC3 has received BIS recognition, she pointed out that building codes, municipal bylaws, schedules of rates and sustainability codes do not yet provide uniform guidance on low-carbon cement.
“The current cement regulations are largely prescriptive and favouring traditional materials,” she said. This limits the ability of alternative materials to compete on performance, durability and emissions.
Dr Purushottam also raised the issue of taxation. Cement, including LC3, currently falls under the same GST bracket as conventional cement. A differentiated tax structure, she argued, could help accelerate market adoption. “In order for the market to demand LC3, that differentiation in the GST could go a long way,” she said.
She noted that green building certifications such as IGBC and GRIHA are already creating demand for low-carbon materials by assigning points for embodied carbon and sustainable material use. However, she said large-scale adoption will require regulatory mandates, particularly through building codes and state-level notifications.
She also cautioned that low-carbon cement alone does not solve the entire building performance problem. A material may reduce embodied carbon, but the operational carbon of a building depends on thermal performance, design, insulation and energy use. “The energy part has two elements,” she said. “One is the embodied carbon of the material itself, and the other is the operational carbon.”
Collaboration is the bridge between invention and impact
Wattal said GCCA sees innovation as a strategic priority and works through platforms that connect industry with academia and start-ups. “There is no way we will decarbonise our sector without innovation,” she said.
However, she stressed that research must be connected to actual industry challenges. Innovations developed in isolation may fail when they encounter real-world barriers such as raw material variability, plant integration, cost, standards and finance. Start-ups, too, need industry mentorship and scale-up pathways.
Wattal also flagged the importance of finance. Even strong technologies may struggle to attract investment if there is no common understanding of bankability. “We have always put projects into, is this a bankable project? But the definition of a bankable project has never been defined,” she said.
For India, she saw strong potential in its academic and start-up ecosystem, but said the challenge lies in alignment and prioritisation. The country has the research base, industrial capacity and market size. What it now needs is a coordinated route from innovation to deployment.
There is a practical concern for cement manufacturers: how can existing plants be adapted for lower emissions without compromising reliability or commercial viability?
Kiranmai Sanagavarapu addressed, “The reliability risk in calcined clay retrofit is definitely real, but it is almost always self-inflicted. The risk arises when a new process is added to an existing circuit without properly redesigning grinding and blending configurations.”
Existing cement plants, she explained, can take two broad routes. The first is external sourcing of calcined clay combined with mill optimisation. This requires lower capital investment and can potentially move in 12 to 18 months if other conditions are in place. It may reduce emissions by around 20 to 30 per cent. The second route is integrated calcination on site, which requires higher capital expenditure and longer lead times, but provides greater control over quality, supply and emissions reduction potential.
For Sanagavarapu, the principle is simple: low-carbon retrofits must be designed with intent. “Design it with an intent properly from the start. Start in the market conditions where the economics are already working,” she said.
Circularity: The overlooked advantage
According to Vaibhav Rathi, fly ash and slag are already well established in cement and construction (C&D), but construction and demolition waste remains underutilised. “C&D waste is a growing business opportunity which not many have taken up,” he said. India’s continuous construction and demolition activity creates huge volumes of waste, much of which contributes to air pollution, land degradation and material inefficiency. With the right processing and standards, this waste can be converted into useful construction products.
Rathi also pointed out that LC3 has a circular economy dimension that is often overlooked. It can use low-grade kaolin-rich clay left behind after high-grade clay is extracted for other applications. “LC3 is not only a low-carbon solution, but also a circular economy solution,” he said.
At the same time, he cautioned that LC3 in India is not yet cheap because it has not reached scale. Site-specific techno-commercial feasibility studies, supported jointly by development agencies and industry, could help companies assess whether LC3 production makes technical and financial sense at a given location.
Dr Purushottam added that India must address both low-carbon cement and construction waste together. “Both low-carbon cement and C&D waste go hand in hand. India does not have an option but to work on both,” she said.
Dr Aiyer called for policy shifts from both government and industry, including preferential purchasing of sustainable materials, minimum supplementary cementitious material requirements in public and public-private projects, and faster regulatory implementation. “If we can fast-track the regulatory standards and their implementation on the ground, that is the way to go,” he said.
From green ambition to green construction
Cement innovation is no longer only about chemistry. It is about systems. Low-carbon cement will scale only when technology, standards, procurement, finance, regulation, education and construction practice move together.
LC3 and other low-carbon technologies have shown promise. India has early commercial examples, strong research capability and growing market interest. But mainstream adoption will depend on whether demand can be created, regulators can be capacitated, standards can be embedded in procurement, and manufacturers can see a clear business case.
For a country building at India’s scale, the opportunity is enormous. Cement will continue to be central to infrastructure and urban development. The challenge now is to ensure that the cement used in India’s growth story carries a lower carbon burden.
Rakesh Rao
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JK Cement gained after being declared preferred bidder for the Gilund Limestone Block in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, a lease area of 370.96 hectares. The firm saw its shares trade at Rs. 5550.05, up by 28.45 points or 0.52 per cent from the previous close of Rs. 5521.60 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 5569.15 and touched a high of Rs. 5625.00 and a low of Rs. 5531.00.
The stock recorded turnover of 1742 shares on the counter and the BSE group A stock with face value Rs. 10 has a 52 week high of Rs. 7565.00 on 20-Aug-2025 and a 52 week low of Rs. 4670.05 on 12-Jun-2026. Last one week high and low stood at Rs. 5625.00 and Rs. 5329.00 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 45.66 per cent, while institutions and non-institutions held 40.61 per cent and 13.73 per cent respectively.
The e-auction conducted by the Government of Rajasthan resulted in the company being declared preferred bidder for the mining lease, and the allocation will enable the company to plan phased development of the deposit, subject to regulatory approvals. The Gilund block spans 370.96 hectares and its allocation is intended to support raw material security for the company’s cement operations in the region. The designation follows the government auction process and will allow the company to plan development and integration of the deposit into its supply chain.
The current market capitalisation stands at Rs. 430.38 billion (bn), reflecting market response to the mining news and prevailing valuation levels for the sector. Investors and analysts will watch for formal allotment and related disclosures that can clarify timelines, capital expenditure and expected production profiles. The report is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice, and market participants are advised to consult advisers before making decisions.
Star Cement has been declared the preferred bidder for the mining lease for Boro Lakhindong West Block following e-auctions conducted by the Government of Assam. The block is located in Boro Lakhindong Village, Umrangso Tehsil, Dima Hasao District, Assam, and extends over an area of 123 hectares. The estimated limestone resource is 207.822 million (mn) tonnes (t), a quantity that will supply raw material for cement production and support the company’s manufacturing operations in the region.
The company is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of cement clinker and cement and distributes products across the north-eastern and eastern states of India. Star Cement operates plants and logistics networks that procure and process limestone to produce clinker for cement, and the addition of Boro Lakhindong is presented as a strategic enhancement of feedstock availability. The preferred bidder status secures rights to the specified lease area under the terms of the auction process.
Financial results for the company in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 showed a consolidated net profit rise of 20.24 per cent to Rs 1,481.0 mn on an 11.54 per cent increase in revenue to Rs 11,735.5 mn compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Those results reflected higher sales volumes and revenue growth in the company’s primary markets and are cited in company disclosures accompanying the lease announcement. The reported performance provides context to the company’s ability to pursue and finance new mining lease opportunities.
Market reaction to the declaration was modest, with the scrip rising zero point thirty six per cent to trade at Rs 212 on the BSE. The award of the Boro Lakhindong lease concludes the e-auction process for the west block and assigns operational rights to Star Cement as the preferred bidder, subject to completion of statutory and contractual formalities.
