Connect with us

Concrete

Social listening is a proactive process

Published

on

Shares

Sameer Narkar, Founder & CEO, Konnect Insights – Prudence Analytics and Software Solutions, talks to ICR about the importance of technology and innovation, and why Business Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence will be game changers.

What is your observation on the overall cement industry in India?
The demand for the cement industry is growing exponentially because of the industry’s upsurge in commercial, housing, and industrial construction. The housing sector is the key contributor in the overall development, the activities declined or halted due to the lockdown during the covid 19 pandemic, however, significant market growth is expected in the coming years. Production-wise south India has maximum production capacity which adds 33 per cent overall cement production. In the wake of the Covid-19, the production has been affected due to the intermittent work and restrictions on allocating work.

India has seen a spur in the construction and infrastructure activities, what role would transformation and innovation play to enhance the customer experience in the cement sector?
Digital transformation and innovation have been key aspects for companies across every industry survive the pandemic over the last couple of years. Yes, there have been challenges but these have led to an important evolution leading to the digital first economy. While the cement industry is extremely traditionally driven, the brands have been forced to evolve and adopt digitally.
While the spur in construction and infrastructure activities spells more demand for cement companies, customers, being at the center of the complete buying cycle, are empowered to re-evaluate their choices and their interactions with these brands. They have power of information to make decisions that can work in favour of one brand or the other. In the same way, the organisations also need to reconsider the current or the potential ways they can influence the customers. All this mandates that cement brands have to be innovative and become digital savvy to attract, engage and get the new age customers interested in their brand.

Over the years what initiatives by the government have given a boost to cement sectors and business transformation has been a key aspect?
The Government of India is strongly focused on infrastructure development to boost economic growth and is aiming for 100 smart cities. Additionally, the Union Budget allocated Rs 13,750 crore (US$ 1.88 billion) and Rs 12,294 crore (US$ 1.68 billion) for Urban Rejuvenation Mission: AMRUT and Smart Cities Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission, respectively and Rs 27,500 crore (US$ 3.77 billion) has been allotted under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
These factors contribute to the increased demand for the cement industry and cement companies are surely capitalising on this. Reiterating the fact that the demand is controlled by the customers and stakeholders in the supply chain, and they are the ones who will choose one brand over the other. That’s where technologies such as social listening, analytics and AI play an important part.

How would solutions such as social listening, analytics and AI help companies move to the next level and how do you see this impact the overall cement business?
Social listening is a proactive process, where with the help of a platform such as Konnect Insights, brands can listen to conversations of what is being spoken about the brand, its competition and the industry in real-time, across the web, social media, mobile apps, conversational channels, physical stores and so on. With this data the brand can determine where they stand in the market, how they compare with the others, what is their influence in the industry, what kind of customers are associating with the brand, what are the upcoming trends to expect.
With respect to customer experience management, AI-driven automation can come in handy when it comes to responding to customer queries for better productivity. Advanced workflows can reduce time taken due to manual processes, thus reducing customer churn and positively impacting customer loyalty.

How does Konnect Insights fit into the cement industry requirements and how are you able to technologically enable your customers in this domain?
Konnect Insights is an omni-channel customer experience management platform that enables cement brands take care of their identity, perception, positioning by ensuring complete customer experience management, no matter they channel they choose to interact, engage or voice out their opinions and experiences regarding the brand. Konnect Insights is used by some of the major players in the cement industry to offer value to their customers by unifying customer experience, marketing and analytics.

What technology trends do you foresee enabling the concrete sector?
Digitalisation and data will continue to drive evolution for the concrete sector. Business Intelligence technologies will play a crucial role to fuel decision making with regards to every aspect of the business be it processes, customer management, marketing, among others. AI is also definitely going to be a game changer that will improve processes and drive productivity. With automation and RPA, the cement industry can definitely amp up their production quantity and quality to meet the growing demands as well as provide superior products.

Concrete

FORNNAX Appoints Dieter Jerschl as Sales Partner for Central Europe

Published

on

By

Shares



FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY has appointed industry veteran Dieter Jerschl as its new sales partner in Germany to strengthen its presence across Central Europe. The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of FORNNAX’s high-capacity, sustainable recycling solutions while building long-term regional capabilities.

FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY, one of the leading advanced recycling equipment manufacturers, has announced the appointment of a new sales partner in Germany as part of its strategic expansion into Central Europe. The company has entered into a collaborative agreement with Mr. Dieter Jerschl, a seasoned industry professional with over 20 years of experience in the shredding and recycling sector, to represent and promote FORNNAX’s solutions across key European markets.

Mr. Jerschl brings extensive expertise from his work with renowned companies such as BHS, Eldan, Vecoplan, and others. Over the course of his career, he has successfully led the deployment of both single machines and complete turnkey installations for a wide range of applications, including tyre recycling, cable recycling, municipal solid waste, e-waste, and industrial waste processing.

Speaking about the partnership, Mr. Jerschl said,
“I’ve known FORNNAX for over a decade and have followed their growth closely. What attracted me to this collaboration is their state-of-the-art & high-capacity technology, it is powerful, sustainable, and economically viable. There is great potential to introduce FORNNAX’s innovative systems to more markets across Europe, and I am excited to be part of that journey.”

The partnership will primarily focus on Central Europe, including Germany, Austria, and neighbouring countries, with the flexibility to extend the geographical scope based on project requirements and mutual agreement. The collaboration is structured to evolve over time, with performance-driven expansion and ongoing strategic discussions with FORNNAX’s management. The immediate priority is to build a strong project pipeline and enhance FORNNAX’s brand presence across the region.

FORNNAX’s portfolio of high-performance shredding and pre-processing solutions is well aligned with Europe’s growing demand for sustainable and efficient waste treatment technologies. By partnering with Mr. Jerschl—who brings deep market insight and established industry relationships—FORNNAX aims to accelerate adoption of its solutions and participate in upcoming recycling projects across the region.

As part of the partnership, Mr. Jerschl will also deliver value-added services, including equipment installation, maintenance, and spare parts support through a dedicated technical team. This local service capability is expected to ensure faster project execution, minimise downtime, and enhance overall customer experience.

Commenting on the long-term vision, Mr. Jerschl added,
“We are committed to increasing market awareness and establishing new reference projects across the region. My goal is not only to generate business but to lay the foundation for long-term growth. Ideally, we aim to establish a dedicated FORNNAX legal entity or operational site in Germany over the next five to ten years.”

For FORNNAX, this partnership aligns closely with its global strategy of expanding into key markets through strong regional representation. The company believes that local partnerships are critical for navigating complex market dynamics and delivering solutions tailored to region-specific waste management challenges.

“We see tremendous potential in the Central European market,” said Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO of FORNNAX.
“Partnering with someone as experienced and well-established as Mr. Jerschl gives us a strong foothold and allows us to better serve our customers. This marks a major milestone in our efforts to promote reliable, efficient and future-ready recycling solutions globally,” he added.

This collaboration further strengthens FORNNAX’s commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and sustainable waste management, supporting the transition toward a greener and more circular future.

 

Continue Reading

Concrete

Budget 2026–27 infra thrust and CCUS outlay to lift cement sector outlook

Published

on

By

Shares



Higher capex, city-led growth and CCUS funding improve demand visibility and decarbonisation prospects for cement

Mumbai

Cement manufacturers have welcomed the Union Budget 2026–27’s strong infrastructure thrust, with public capital expenditure increased to Rs 12.2 trillion, saying it reinforces infrastructure as the central engine of economic growth and strengthens medium-term prospects for the cement sector. In a statement, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) has welcomed the Union budget 2026-27 for reinforcing the ambitions for the nation’s growth balancing the aspirations of the people through inclusivity inspired by the vision of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and Atmanirbharta.

The budget underscores India’s steady economic trajectory over the past 12 years, marked by fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation, and offers strong demand visibility for infrastructure linked sectors such as cement.

The Budget’s strong infrastructure push, with public capital expenditure rising from Rs 11.2 trillion in fiscal year 2025–26 to Rs 12.2 trillion in fiscal year 2026–27, recognises infrastructure as the primary anchor for economic growth creating positive prospects for the Indian cement industry and improving long term visibility for the cement sector. The emphasis on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with populations above 5 lakh and the creation of City Economic Regions (CERs) with an allocation of Rs 50 billion per CER over five years, should accelerate construction activity across housing, transport and urban services, supporting broad based cement consumption.

Logistics and connectivity measures announced in the budget are particularly significant for the cement industry. The announcement of new dedicated freight corridors, the operationalisation of 20 additional National Waterways over the next five years, the launch of the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to raise the modal share of waterways and coastal shipping from 6 per cent to 12 per cent by 2047, and the development of ship repair ecosystems should enhance multimodal freight efficiency, reduce logistics costs and improve the sector’s carbon footprint. The announcement of seven high speed rail corridors as growth corridors can be expected to further stimulate regional development and construction demand.

Commenting on the budget, Parth Jindal, President, Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA), said, “As India advances towards a Viksit Bharat, the three kartavya articulated in the Union Budget provide a clear context for the Nation’s growth and aspirations, combining economic momentum with capacity building and inclusive progress. The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) appreciates the Union Budget 2026-27 for the continued emphasis on manufacturing competitiveness, urban development and infrastructure modernisation, supported by over 350 reforms spanning GST simplification, labour codes, quality control rationalisation and coordinated deregulation with States. These reforms, alongside the Budget’s focus on Youth Power and domestic manufacturing capacity under Atmanirbharta, stand to strengthen the investment environment for capital intensive sectors such as Cement. The Union Budget 2026-27 reflects the Government’s focus on infrastructure led development emerging as a structural pillar of India’s growth strategy.”

He added, “The Rs 200 billion CCUS outlay for various sectors, including Cement, fundamentally alters the decarbonisation landscape for India’s emissions intensive industries. CCUS is a significant enabler for large scale decarbonisation of industries such as Cement and this intervention directly addresses the technology and cost requirements of the Cement sector in context. The Cement Industry, fully aligned with the Government of India’s Net Zero commitment by 2070, views this support as critical to enabling the adoption and scale up of CCUS technologies while continuing to meet the Country’s long term infrastructure needs.”

Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Vice President, CMA, said, “The government’s sustained infrastructure push supports employment, regional development and stronger local supply chains. Cement manufacturing clusters act as economic anchors across regions, generating livelihoods in construction, logistics and allied sectors. The budget’s focus on inclusive growth, execution and system level enablers creates a supportive environment for responsible and efficient expansion offering opportunities for economic growth and lending momentum to the cement sector. The increase in public capex to Rs 12.2 trillion, the focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and the creation of City Economic Regions stand to strengthen the growth of the cement sector. We welcome the budget’s emphasis on tourism, cultural and social infrastructure, which should broaden construction activity across regions. Investments in tourism facilities, heritage and Buddhist circuits, regional connectivity in Purvodaya and North Eastern States, and the strengthening of emergency and trauma care infrastructure in district hospitals reinforce the cement sector’s role in enabling inclusive growth.”

CMA also noted the Government’s continued commitment to fiscal discipline, with the fiscal deficit estimated at 4.3 per cent of GDP in FY27, reinforcing macroeconomic stability and investor confidence.

Continue Reading

Concrete

Steel: Shielded or Strengthened?

CW explores the impact of pro-steel policies on construction and infrastructure and identifies gaps that need to be addressed.

Published

on

By

Shares



Going forward, domestic steel mills are targeting capacity expansion
of nearly 40 per cent through till FY31, adding 80-85 mt, translating
into an investment pipeline of $ 45-50 billion. So, Jhunjhunwala points
out that continuing the safeguard duty will be vital to prevent a surge
in imports and protect domestic prices from external shocks. While in
FY26, the industry operating profit per tonne is expected to hold at
around $ 108, similar to last year, the industry’s earnings must
meaningfully improve from hereon to sustain large-scale investments.
Else, domestic mills could experience a significant spike in industry
leverage levels over the medium term, increasing their vulnerability to
external macroeconomic shocks.(~$ 60/tonne) over the past one month,
compressing the import parity discount to ~$ 23-25/tonne from previous
highs of ~$ 70-90/tonne, adds Jhunjhunwala. With this, he says, “the
industry can expect high resistance to further steel price increases.”

Domestic HRC prices have increased by ~Rs 5,000/tonne
“Aggressive
capacity additions (~15 mt commissioned in FY25, with 5 mt more by
FY26) have created a supply overhang, temporarily outpacing demand
growth of ~11-12 mt,” he says…

To read the full article Click Here

Continue Reading

Trending News