Concrete

Who’s gonna bag it?

Published

4 years ago

May 11, 2022

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That’s a million-dollar question… or should we say a 10 billion-dollar one, as that is the estimated size of the deal in the ACC and Ambuja bidding war that the Indian cement industry is witnessing.

The cement sector has been in the news since the beginning of the year for cost inflation and the corrections there of. But the impending exit of the Switzerland-based building materials conglomerate Holderind Investments Ltd (Holcim) and the upcoming stake sale in Ambuja Cements and ACC has captured the headlines and imagination of the media. Speculations are rife as contenders are heating up the bidding game in what is turning out to be a game changing manoeuvre.

Holcim Group’s global cement capacity as of the current financial year is 293 mtpa with around 24 per cent of its total capacities housed in India. Ambuja’s
current reported grinding capacity is 31.4 mtpa with plans to expand capacity to 39.9 mtpa by 2024, while ACC’s has been calculated at 34.9 mtpa to be increased
to 39.7 mtpa by the first half of the next year. The company that bags the deal will have a combined pan-India capacity of 66 mtpa, changing the global order.
Sweden, where Holcim is based, has the highest carbon tax rate worldwide at $137 per metric tonne of CO2 equivalent. Earlier this year, Holcim sold several of
its assets in Indonesia, Malaysia and Brazil. The company’s disinvestment in India is in tune with its sustainability strategy to reduce its cement business to around
35 per cent of revenue in 2025, in a bid to lower its carbon footprint. It has even joined the Science-Based Targets initiative detailing its net-zero pathway to 2050.
Holcim would be a torchbearer in ESG within the building material industry. Players like Adani and JSW are leading the race to buy Holcim’s Indian prized assets
including others such as Shree Cement and RS Damani of D Mart making some efforts to explore the deal.

There are two strong plot lines that are emerging from this scenario. One: How will the bidders raise the capital for the buyout and what what is government likely to do, are questions that will lead economic reform discussions in time to come.

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Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

23 hours 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

23 hours 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.

Concrete

Cement Firms to Invest Rs. 130 bn in Green Energy by FY28

Cement companies plan to expand clean energy capacity to 6 GW by FY28

Published

5 days ago

September 17, 2026

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India’s major cement companies are set to raise their clean energy capacity to 6 GW by March 2028 from around 4 GW at the end of March 2026, according to ratings agency ICRA. The planned expansion is expected to involve investments of Rs. 130 bn over the next two years.

The additional capacity could generate annual savings of Rs. 62 bn to Rs. 67 bn, resulting in an estimated payback period of 1.8 to 2.2 years. Cement is an emission-intensive industry, and leading producers have established net-zero roadmaps covering the next 15 to 20 years.

The calcination process accounts for 57 to 60 per cent of the sector’s total emissions, while fuel combustion contributes 27 to 30 per cent and electricity consumption accounts for 10 to 13 per cent. ICRA said the figures highlighted the need for a broad decarbonisation strategy involving green power, blended cement, alternative fuels and improvements in clinker efficiency.

Green energy is considered one of the most commercially attractive decarbonisation options because it can reduce emissions while lowering operating costs. Every 5 per cent increase in green power replacement can reduce power and fuel costs by Rs. 15 to Rs. 16 per tonne. A 25 per cent replacement level could therefore save Rs. 75 to Rs. 80 per tonne and expand operating margins by 140 to 160 basis points.

Cement producers are also assessing carbon capture, utilisation and storage, although high implementation costs, energy requirements and limited transport and storage infrastructure are expected to slow commercial adoption. The government has proposed Rs. 200 bn over five years to support deployment across key sectors. Meanwhile, companies are targeting thermal substitution rates of 10 to 15 per cent over the next three to five years, compared with the current industry level of around 6 per cent.