Concrete

Holcim to make cement more sustainable & environment friendly

Holcim said cement production needs high temps, greenhouse emissions

Published

4 years ago

April 26, 2022

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It’s as puzzling as it is bold for building materials manufacturing MNC to pull the plug on a country where 10-15 million families still live in kutcha and semi-pucca houses with mud, wood, or bamboo floors. Although Jan Jenisch, Holcim CEO, recognised that cement and climate are becoming increasingly incompatible.

Holcim’s founders, the Swiss Schmidheiny family, were unable to escape a controversy involving the Italian asbestos manufacturer Eternit Genova, which was determined to be responsible for the deaths of over 2,000 people supposedly exposed to the poisonous substance.

Stephan Schmidheiny, the primary shareholder of Eternit Genova, was found guilty by a Turin court in 2012 of refusing to implement asbestos-prevention measures that would have protected employees and residents.

The verdict was reversed by the Italian Supreme Court two years later, but the reputational harm had already been done.

Jenisch and his shareholders wouldn’t want another malignant sore point after the lingering controversy and the 2016 discovery that the then-post-merger firm LafargeHolcim had paid taxes to Islamic State (IS) intermediaries in 2013-14 to keep its facility in Jalabiya, Syria, operational.

Therefore, Jenisch has started preparing the groundwork for a new Holcim, moving away from past obsessions with cement, aggregates, and ready-mix concrete and toward a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future.

Cement production necessitates high temperatures and produces significant volumes of greenhouse emissions.

Jenisch is not shying away from divesting Holcim’s sprawling India operations, as well as similar sales in Brazil, Mozambique, and Northern Ireland, to speed up its transition to a green company.

The company aims to over halve its cement revenue share by 2025 while increasing its greener portfolio by more than 3.5 times.

It also makes business sense to promote ESG in today’s era of conscientious capitalism (environmental, social and governance).

Holcim, which trades at a 12.8 price-to-earnings (PE) ratio, might see its valuation rise if it transitions from a pure commodities player to offering solutions or diversifying into building chemicals.

Sika, on the other hand, trades for over four times the multiples. And if you consider Pidilite, the Indian adhesives behemoth, which is presently trading at 97.9 PE, the value difference is eight times larger.

This Holcim playbook will be adopted by an increasing number of industrial enterprises throughout the world, including India. Asian Paints has progressed to become a home renovation expert, while cement companies JSW and JK, like the Aditya Birla Group, have expanded into paints and other value-added services.

A rising number of industrial firms throughout the world, particularly in India, will follow Holcim’s lead. Asian Paints has evolved into a home remodelling specialist, while JSW and JK, like the Aditya Birla Group, have diversified into paints and other value-added services.

An intermediate way might be to use the moat of predictable cash flows created by old activities.

Ambani’s move into telecommunications and retail was first financed by his conventional petrochemicals sector, just like ITC did with tobacco to support its hotels, FMCG, and paper verticals.

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Related Topics:Adani Group Greenhouse Gases Holcim Group Islamic State (IS)Sustainable Cement

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Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions 1 MTPA Unit in Rajasthan

Rajasthan grinding capacity rises to 3.50 MTPA after commissioning

Published

7 hours ago

October 9, 2026

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JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 MTPA cement grinding unit in Nagaur, Rajasthan, taking the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.1 MTPA. The commissioning was announced on Tuesday, October 6.

The company said the new unit had increased the total cement grinding capacity at its Rajasthan plant to 3.50 MTPA. The expansion adds to JSW Cement’s production infrastructure as it continues to build capacity across its operating network.

The company’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including capacity at its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA. Clinker is an intermediate material used in cement production, and its availability supports the company’s grinding operations.

JSW Cement is also pursuing a proposed merger of its listed subsidiary Shiva Cement with the company. The scheme, approved by the boards of the respective companies, involves issuing five fully paid-up JSW Cement equity shares for every 41 shares held by Shiva Cement shareholders other than JSW Cement.

The arrangement remains subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals. JSW Cement currently holds 66.23 per cent of Shiva Cement’s paid-up equity share capital, and the shares held by JSW Cement in the subsidiary will be cancelled under the proposal without any issue of JSW Cement shares against that holding.

The scheme has an appointed date of April 1, 2026, and the company has indicated that completion could take 12 to 14 months, depending on the receipt of approvals. These include clearances from stock exchanges, the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the National Company Law Tribunal and other applicable authorities, along with approvals from shareholders and creditors where required. JSW Cement shares closed at Rs. 113.15 on the BSE, up Rs. 2.05, or 1.85 per cent.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

14 hours ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit in Rajasthan

The Nagaur expansion takes JSW Cement’s total grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2026

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JSW Cement has commissioned an additional 1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) cement grinding unit at its Nagaur Integrated Plant in Rajasthan. The commissioning takes the company’s total cement grinding capacity to 25.10 MTPA.

JSW Cement’s total clinker manufacturing capacity, including its joint venture JSW Cement FZC, now stands at 9.74 MTPA.

The company began operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and a 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the latest expansion, the plant’s total grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA.

The additional capacity will cater to cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a combination of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2026, JSW Cement also commissioned an Alternate Fuel Handling System and a Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) at the Nagaur plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said the additional grinding capacity was a strategic priority for the company’s expansion in North India. He added that the Alternate Fuel Handling System and WHRS were expected to reduce production costs.