Concrete

Shift Towards Sustainable Construction

Published

3 years ago

September 7, 2022

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Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India Holcim and Managing Director and CEO, Ambuja Cements, draws a clear path for sustainable shift towards blended cement, which would lead to lesser use of clinker, thereby enabling the industry to reach its decarbonisation targets.

In today’s world, cement stands shoulder to shoulder with core sectors like steel, energy and others as one of the key building blocks to nation building. With the current market size of $325 billion, the cement industry (in GDP terms) would rank among the top 50 industrialised nations in the world today. By 2028, this market is expected to grow to $460 billion. And when that happens, the global cement industry would have raced past another dozen or more countries in GDP terms.

Leaders in the cement sector across the world are not only aware of the opportunity this represents, but the weight of the responsibility that comes with it. Almost all major cement producers have committed themselves to a Net Zero future, an important decarbonisation movement that has also taken the larger industrial world by storm.

Planning Ahead

In the cement sector, we have identified every stage in the value chain as a potential target for decarbonisation. The execution of this change is happening within the bigger framework of ‘Circular Economy’. In simple terms, the principles of circular economy pushes manufacturers to treat every material (natural and processed) to be used in perpetuity. A key element in this system is the ability to cut down or reduce as one of the three Rs, along with reuse and recycling to achieve long term sustainability.

For the cement sector, one of the focus areas has been reduction of the use of clinkers in the manufacturing process, or what in industry parlance is called ‘clinker factor’. Clinker is an intermediary material used in the production of cement. The reduction of clinker factor is achieved by replacing it with alternative blending materials like pozzolana, slag or fly ash (industrial waste) to produce blended cements. This reduces the carbon intensity of the cement—a primary lever for reduction of carbon emissions.

So, the more we shift towards blended cement, the lesser will be the use of clinker and thus move the cement industry closer to its ultimate decarbonisation targets.

The growing demand for blended cement in a country like India is particularly very effective in combating climate change. India is today the second-largest cement producer and consumer, with the share of blended cement of around 75 per cent of our total production mix. However, India’s per capita cement consumption at around 235 kg is less than half of the global average (520 kg).

Surging Demand

The economic growth we are foreseeing over the next few years and decades including the target of becoming a $5 trillion GDP will push the demand for cement to much higher levels. The surge in demand for cement can be environmentally sustained only by our efforts to push for wider use of blended and green cement. From the manufacturers point of view such a shift is already gaining a lot of momentum through more investment in R&D-led innovation to improve products and processes and in no small measure a strong and consistent consumer-focussed advocacy.

As one of the leading markets for cement in the world, this is an historic opportunity for India to establish its leadership in the true sense of the word.

About the author: Neeraj Akhoury, CEO, Holcim India, and Managing Director and CEO of Ambuja Cements comes with over 28 years of experience in steel and cement industries. He has a degree in Economics and MBA from the University of Liverpool, and General Management from XLRI, Jamshedpur. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School. He is on the board of governors at National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM), and he also serves as Vice President of the Cement Manufacturers Association of India.

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Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas Reports Record Q2 EBITDA, Expands Capacity to 35 MTPA

Cement Major Nuvoco Posts Rs 3.71 bn EBITDA in Q2 FY26

Published

4 days ago

October 22, 2025

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Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd., one of India’s leading building materials companies, has reported its highest-ever second-quarter consolidated EBITDA of Rs 3.71 billion for Q2 FY26, reflecting an 8% year-on-year revenue growth to Rs 24.58 billion. Cement sales volume stood at 4.3 MMT during the quarter, driven by robust demand and a rising share of premium products, which reached an all-time high of 44%.

The company continued its deleveraging journey, reducing like-to-like net debt by Rs 10.09 billion year-on-year to Rs 34.92 billion. Commenting on the performance, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, said, “Despite macro headwinds, disciplined execution and focus on premiumisation helped us achieve record performance. We remain confident in our structural growth trajectory.”

Nuvoco’s capacity expansion plans remain on track, with refurbishment of the Vadraj Cement facility progressing towards operationalisation by Q3 FY27. In addition, the company’s 4 MTPA phased expansion in eastern India, expected between December 2025 and March 2027, will raise its total cement capacity to 35 MTPA by FY27.

Reinforcing its sustainability credentials, Nuvoco continues to lead the sector with one of the lowest carbon emission intensities at 453.8 kg CO? per tonne of cementitious material.

Concrete

Jindal Stainless to Invest $150 Mn in Odisha Metal Recovery Plant

New Jajpur facility to double metal recovery capacity and cut emissions

Published

1 week ago

October 17, 2025

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Jindal Stainless Limited has announced an investment of $150 million to build and operate a new wet milling plant in Jajpur, Odisha, aimed at doubling its capacity to recover metal from industrial waste. The project is being developed in partnership with Harsco Environmental under a 15-year agreement.

The facility will enable the recovery of valuable metals from slag and other waste materials, significantly improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The initiative aligns with Jindal Stainless’s sustainability roadmap, which focuses on circular economy practices and low-carbon operations.

In financial year 2025, the company reduced its carbon footprint by about 14 per cent through key decarbonisation initiatives, including commissioning India’s first green hydrogen plant for stainless steel production and setting up the country’s largest captive solar energy plant within a single industrial campus in Odisha.

Shares of Jindal Stainless rose 1.8 per cent to Rs 789.4 per share following the announcement, extending a 5 per cent gain over the past month.

Concrete

Vedanta gets CCI Approval for Rs 17,000 MnJaiprakash buyout

Acquisition marks Vedanta’s expansion into cement, real estate, and infra

Published

1 week ago

October 17, 2025

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Vedanta Limited has received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to acquire Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) for approximately Rs 17,000 million under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process. The move marks Vedanta’s strategic expansion beyond its core mining and metals portfolio into cement, real estate, and infrastructure sectors.

Once the flagship of the Jaypee Group, JAL has faced severe financial distress with creditors’ claims exceeding Rs 59,000 million. Vedanta emerged as the preferred bidder in a competitive auction, outbidding the Adani Group with an overall offer of Rs 17,000 million, equivalent to Rs 12,505 million in net present value terms. The payment structure involves an upfront settlement of around Rs 3,800 million, followed by annual instalments of Rs 2,500–3,000 million over five years.

The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL), which acquired the group’s stressed loans from a State Bank of India-led consortium, now leads the creditor committee. Lenders are expected to take a haircut of around 71 per cent based on Vedanta’s offer. Despite approvals for other bidders, Vedanta’s proposal stood out as the most viable resolution plan, paving the way for the company’s diversification into new business verticals.