Concrete

ACC launces India’s first Sustainable house called Gratitude Villa

Published

4 years ago

May 6, 2022

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ACC would promote low CO2 emissions during construction of these houses

ACC Ltd. has launched Houses of Tomorrow (HOT), a worldwide programme of Holcim, in India as a concrete step toward achieving sustainable development. ACC will be the first Indian building materials company to monitor and encourage low CO2 emissions in constructing single-family homes. The Houses of Tomorrow are long-term, cost-effective, accessible, and repeatable. The programme plans to build homes using novel low-CO2 building materials. Puducherry is home to the first project in India, called Gratitude Villa. The project, designed by Trupti Doshi, a well-known sustainability expert, blends materials, climate-specific passive design, and smart building processes to produce a holistically sustainable house that also improves the tenants’ comfort. The use of materials such as ECOPact green concrete, ACC Suraksha cement, fly-ash bricks, and a low CO2 alternative to virgin steel reinforcing is planned to minimise CO2 emissions by 40% at Gratitude Villa. Mr. Sridhar Balakrishnan, MD & CEO, ACC Limited, told the media that their parent company Holcim is pioneering the move to sustainable building. The concept of Houses of Tomorrow sprang from this commitment to sustainability. He said that they are excited to launch this project in India, which would help us continue to inspire future generations of house builders to choose green goods and solutions. Balakrishnan said that through innovation and clever design, they believe that sustainability is for everyone in every place and at any price range.Over 40 well-known architects were asked to participate in the Houses of Tomorrow initiative as part of the selection process. Gratitude Villa was chosen as the first House of Tomorrow in India after a jury evaluation, as it satisfied the goal of displaying a beautifully designed house that uses low carbon impact materials and sustainable construction. The first wave of this unique initiative, which is being coordinated across five nation- India, Kenya, France, Canada, and Mexico – plans to have a good influence on the environment while also providing long-term value to the population.

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Also read: India’s green real estate assets availability grows 37% in 5 years

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Concrete

India’s Core Sector Growth Eases to 4.8 Per Cent in August

Cement, electricity and iron ore offset declines in other sectors

Published

12 hours ago

September 26, 2026

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India’s output across eight core industries grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, easing from the revised 5.0 per cent growth recorded in July, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks eight key infrastructure sectors, accounts for a significant share of the Index of Industrial Production.

Cement production led the expansion with growth of 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent and iron ore at 5.5 per cent. Steel output increased 3.4 per cent, while refinery products rose 2.6 per cent during the month. The ministry identified cement, electricity and iron ore as the main contributors to overall core sector growth in recent months.

The gains were partly offset by contractions in several sectors. Coal output declined 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while natural gas and crude oil production fell 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively. Fertiliser production recorded the sharpest decline, falling 12.4 per cent in August.

Cumulative growth in the ICI during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Steel output increased 4.1 per cent during the period, while cement and electricity production grew 10.3 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers recorded negative cumulative growth during April-August. Their contractions stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, 4.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively. The ministry also revised the final ICI for July to 120.8 from the earlier provisional estimate of 121.2, resulting in a downward revision in the month’s growth rate to 5.0 per cent from 5.4 per cent.

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

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Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

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The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.