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Cement producers to bear testing costs at NABL-approved labs

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Substandard cement affects cement quality, reduces building life

Cement manufacturers will have to contain the cost of testing at the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) approved labs to ensure supplying quality cement for government works.The Civil Supplies Corporation has introduced this system. The cement is supplied at subsidised rates to the state governments by Ambuja Cements Limited, Ultratech Cement, ACC Cement and Duraton.Supplying substandard cement affects the quality of work and also reduces the lifespan of a building. Because it is supplied at a subsidised rate to the governments, the product quality cannot be ruled out.Lalit Jain, Corporation Managing Director, told the media that to ensure good quality cement is supplied by manufacturers for various government works, the companies would have to bear the testing costs only through NABL-approved labs. Each test costs Rs 20,000, which now will be paid by the manufacturer.Earlier, the testing fee was borne by the corporation, and the higher cost acted as a deterrent to adequate testing.The quality testing will be undertaken on the receipt of complaints as cases of substandard cement also pour in. The corporation has 117 godowns, and complaints of substandard cement come from the Sirmaur district.Cement is supplied at a subsidised rate of Rs 195 per bag by the manufacturer to the corporation. The cost is then enhanced to Rs 310 to Rs 330 after adding labour charges, goods and services tax (GST) and the profit margin of the corporation. The freight charges are also added to the final cost through various truck unions transporting cement at lower prices.Cement manufacturers said that complaints of the substandard cement supply are sometimes fake to allow the entry of other players, and their product had the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification.Image Source


Also read:ย Cement prices shows an uptick in March as demand grows

Concrete

BMC Cement Concretisation Cuts Pothole Repairs By 70 Per Cent

Project worth Rs 170 billion (Rs 170 bn) aims to concretise 1,900 km by 2027

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s cement concretisation project, valued at Rs 170 billion (Rs 170 bn), has reduced expenditure on pothole repairs by 70 per cent over three years. Spending on repairs fell from Rs 2.02 billion in 2023โ€“24 to Rs 1.56 billion in 2024โ€“25 and then to Rs 890 million (Rs 890 mn) in 2025โ€“26. The current tender is expected to be about Rs 440 million, representing a further 50 per cent reduction.

The project is being executed in two phases, with Phase I covering 307 km from October 2023 and Phase II covering 370 km from October 2024. The Indian Institute of Technology is auditing Phase II and will now also audit Phase I to ensure quality and accountability. Mumbai’s total road network spans approximately 2,050 km, of which about 1,200 km had been converted to cement concrete before 2022.

Since 2022 an additional 677 km were taken up for concretisation and nearly 71 per cent of that work, amounting to 481 km, has been completed. Municipal officials indicated that 10โ€“15 per cent of the remaining work is expected to be completed by May 2026 and another 10 per cent by December 2026. The entire programme is scheduled for completion by May 2027, by which time nearly 1,900 km of Mumbai’s roads are expected to be fully concretised.

The administration has also developed a real time dashboard that displays detailed information about contracts, contractors and progress and citizens can access the latest updates online. The dashboard includes contact details for the civic officials and contractors responsible for particular roads to enhance transparency and accountability. The commissioner directed that ongoing works be completed by 31 May ahead of the monsoon to safeguard completion targets and minimise disruption.

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Concrete

Shree Cement Approves Rs 1,800 Crore Meghalaya Plant

Integrated unit to be completed by quarter ending March 2028

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Shree Cement has approved the establishment of an integrated cement plant in Meghalaya, signalling a targeted capacity expansion to serve regional demand. The board cleared a unit at Village Daistong in East Jaintia Hills District with a clinker capacity of zero point nine five million tonnes per annum (mn t) and a cement capacity of zero point nine nine million tonnes per annum (mn t). The project was approved on April four, 2026 and is designed as a new addition to the company’s production network where it currently has no existing plant.

The company has earmarked an estimated investment of Rs 1,800 crore (Rs 18 billion (bn)) for the project, which will be financed through a mix of internal accruals and debt. Management has indicated a balanced financing strategy to preserve cash flows while supporting long-term growth and operational investment. The financing approach is intended to avoid over reliance on external borrowing and to maintain financial discipline during the build out.

The plant is expected to improve logistics efficiency and compress distribution distances to emerging demand centres in the north-east, potentially lowering transportation costs and lead times. By locating production closer to demand the company aims to strengthen market access and respond more effectively to regional construction activity. The project forms part of a broader strategy to diversify the production base across geographies and reduce concentration risk.

Execution is planned over a multi-year window with completion targeted by the quarter ending March 2028 and the company will proceed with construction and requisite regulatory clearances. The integrated design is intended to enhance operational control and production efficiency once operational. The decision follows a regulatory filing dated April four, 2026 and the disclosed details have not been independently verified.

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WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

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