Concrete

Limiting the damage

Published

3 years ago

July 15, 2022

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World Environment Day on 5th June was ushered in with a greater gusto in India than ever before. In keeping with the theme of this year’s celebration, ‘Only One Earth,’ the Government of India has also taken substantial steps such as banning single use plastic among others.

Considering the urgency with which the cement sector is moving towards decarbonisation, here are some facts that are propelling cement players to take immediate action:

The steel and cement sectors would see a three-to-four-fold increase in demand and a near tripling of sectoral CO2 emissions by 2050, making the industrial sector the single largest source of CO2 emissions in India, as per an estimate by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
More than half of all CO2 emissions since 1751 have been emitted in the last 30 years, says a study by Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP).
The 20 big companies that contributed to almost 33 per cent of world-historic emissions are from the energy and cement sectors.
The per capita consumption of cement in India is 195 kg, which is far less than the world average of 500 kg and 1000 kg of China, as per Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

Decarbonisation of the cement industry cannot be achieved without technology. Using state-of-the-art technology, cement companies should aim at…

Making their processes more energy efficient
Using renewable energy sources
Shifting to alternative fuels
Investing in carbon capture and storage
Utilising other industrial waste as raw material
Exploring alternative cementitious materials
Recycling waste and having circular processes

Technology and R&D are the two tools that will enable the cement sector to harness alternative energy such as solar thermal power, make improvements in the usage of biomass and green hydrogen and increase material circularity.
A significant achievement in India has been the substitution of part of the limestone with by-products from other processes in the form of industrial wastes like slag from steel plants and fly ash from thermal power plants. This blending has greatly contributed to helping the Indian cement industry perform better than global players in terms of specific emissions of CO2 per tonne of cement. Slag Cement can substitute 70-80 per cent of OPC in various grades of concrete mixtures, while it can be used 100% in massive mass concrete projects and other industrial structures. Achieving higher thermal efficiencies helps conserve the use of coal. Equally noteworthy has been the gainful utilisation of industrial, municipal and agricultural wastes and biomass to serve as alternative fuels that replace fossil fuels.
We see a lot of constructive initiatives undertaken by the government, too, in this journey towards decarbonisation. For instance, last year, India and the United Kingdom announced the Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI). It is one of the largest and most diverse coalitions of governments and the private sector to create net-zero carbon industrial products. Over the next three years, the governments will work towards decarbonisation of heavy industries, including, of course, cement. While the sentiment is in the right place here, only time will tell if the efforts match up to the expected outcome.

–Pratap Padode, Founder and Editor-in-chief

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Niraj Cement JV Wins Railway and Metro Contracts

Two orders worth over Rs 1.64 billion boost infrastructure portfolio

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2025

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Niraj Cement Structurals (JV) has secured two major contracts from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NF Railway) and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), strengthening its position in large-scale infrastructure development.

The first contract, valued at Rs 815.2 million, has been awarded by NF Railway. It involves the construction of multiple-span 12.20-metre PSC slab underpasses, a major bridge (No. 727), retaining and guide walls, embankments and one minor bridge along the proposed UP and Down line near Deepor Beel. The project covers Km 163/00 to 164/200 between Azara and Kamakhya stations and forms part of the New Bongaigaon–Goalpara Town–Kamakhya (NBQ–GLPT–KYQ) railway doubling programme.

The second contract, worth Rs 826.6 million, has been awarded by MMRDA for constructing a foot overbridge (FOB) equipped with a travellator to improve connectivity between the SGMC monorail station and the Mahalaxmi metro and suburban railway stations.

The two projects underscore the company’s technical capabilities in both transportation infrastructure and environmentally sensitive construction, further strengthening its portfolio in key railway and urban mobility developments.

Concrete

Peddapalli MP Seeks Clear Timelines for Rs 42.10 Bn Projects

Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamshi Krishna has urged the Union Government to specify execution timelines for major infrastructure projects worth Rs 42.10 billion in his constituency.

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2025

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Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamshi Krishna has called on the Centre to provide definitive timelines for a series of sanctioned infrastructure works that he said are essential for the region’s economic progress. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, he stressed that many approved projects remain stalled without clear implementation schedules, limiting their potential impact on connectivity and employment.

A key pending work is the Peddapalli–Manuguru Railway Line, a 137 km stretch linking Peddapalli with Manuguru in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. Although the line has received required approvals and special project status, the execution schedule has not yet been announced. The project is expected to support freight efficiency, improve coal logistics, and strengthen local job creation.

Extending his appeal beyond physical infrastructure, the MP urged the Centre to consider including Peddapalli in the India Semiconductor Mission, citing the district’s industrial ecosystem, skilled workforce, and readiness to support advanced manufacturing.

By pressing for structured timelines, Krishna emphasised the need for coordinated planning and timely execution to advance the constituency’s long-term development goals.

Concrete

IndiaAI, Gujarat Govt Host Regional Conclave Ahead of 2026 AI Summit

A regional pre-summit event in Gandhinagar recently gathered leaders to advance AI for good governance.

Published

2 days ago

December 11, 2025

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The IndiaAI Mission under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, along with the Government of Gujarat and IIT Gandhinagar, convened a Regional Pre-Summit Event at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar. The initiative is part of the build-up to the India–AI Impact Summit 2026, scheduled for 15–20 February 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The conclave brought together senior policymakers, technology leaders, researchers and industry practitioners to examine how AI can accelerate economic, digital and social transformation across sectors. The programme focused on the overarching theme of ‘AI for Good Governance: Empowering India’s Digital Future’.

The inaugural session featured key dignitaries including Bhupendrabhai Rajnikant Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat; Harsh Rameshbhai Sanghavi, Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat; Arjunbhai Devabhai Modhwadia, Minister for Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat; Manoj Kumar Das, Chief Secretary, Government of Gujarat; Abhishek Singh, Additional Secretary, MeitY and Director General, NIC; and Ponugumatla Bharathi, Secretary, Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat.

High-impact keynote sessions led by national and global experts from MeitY, Bhashini, Google Cloud, Microsoft, IBM Research, NVIDIA, Oracle and AWS examined themes including AI in governance, public service delivery, urban development, rural transformation, healthcare, agriculture, fintech and multilingual accessibility enabled through Bhashini.
Delegates also visited an Experience Zone curated by IndiaAI and DST Gujarat, which showcased AI solutions across governance, agriculture, health and industry.

By convening government, industry and academic stakeholders, the conclave aimed to strengthen India’s AI ecosystem through frameworks that prioritise trust, scalability and public interest. Insights generated from the event will contribute directly to the agenda and outcomes of the India–AI Impact Summit 2026.