Concrete
Integrating Sustainable Processes
Published
3 years agoon
By
admin
Primary and secondary packaging of cement is one of the most crucial stages of the manufacturing process, given the nature of the product. Faulty or cheap packaging can result in the cement turning solid due to moisture, by the time it is delivered on the site. At the turn of the century, the functionality of cement bags was not the only parameter to consider. Cement companies turned to innovation and recycling to implement sustainable bagging and packaging of their product. ICR looks at the current options available in the market and how cement brands can improve their packaging processes to reduce their carbon footprint.
Cement is a widely consumed and produced product. Its packaging, therefore, holds a lot of importance and needs to be done with care and precision. With the ongoing infrastructural development in the country, the demand for cement is ever rising. Similarly, India also exports a significant amount of cement.

high durability making it the less pollutant product
compared to other packaging bags.
Packaging of cement plays a crucial role in the process of taking it from the makers to the consumers. Manufacturer’s source highest grade technology and packaging material to protect their product from damage, wastage and to reach the end user in an unharmed manner.
The process of packaging is at the last leg of the cement manufacturing process at the plant. Cement is extracted from the silo bottom by aeration and transported to electronic packing machines by air slides and bucket elevators. When it comes to filling cement bags at plants with valve fillers, the process is automated but the technicality is not simple. The product is pressed into the bag, while bags are made round so the maximum amount of product with air can be put inside. Then the bags are flattened so the air can escape through the many holes in the bag, and the bags can be stacked on a pallet. But this process does not work well with a closed plastic bag. The air leaving the product causes air to come in that cannot escape.
Materials and Quality Standards
Polypropylene is the chosen material for cement bags. The benefits of using this material are protection from moisture and strength to packaging. There are various categories of polypropylene bags available with coatings, linings etc.
- PP Plain Woven Bags: These are simple bags made of plastic, stitched at the ends to hold cement in them.
- PP Lined Woven Bags: These bags have an extra lining under the plastic outside that prevents cement from coming in contact with moisture.
- Laminated PP Bags: These bags have an extra poly film layer over the polypropylene. They have a higher strength than the regular PP woven bags and provide a greater resistance from air that comes in contact with the bags. These also give way to better branding of the product when it is stored in uncovered settings.
- BOPP Laminated Bags: The Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) laminated bags have a superior quality than other bags. An extra added layer enhances the durability of these bags and makes them more attractive for branding as well as prevent wear, tear and wastage while handling.
Cement makers, for the sake of sustainability, have been contemplating switching to paper bags. However, PP woven bags have various advantages when put in use for storing cement. They are highly chemical and weather resistant. They have high tear strength, which enables it to carry heavyweight materials. PP woven bags are 100 per cent reusable and have high durability making it the less pollutant product compared to other packaging bags. The element of recyclability and waste prevention because of the sturdiness of PP woven bags, they are the chosen material for cement packaging.
“Bags made of polypropylene can easily sustain harsh environments. Usually, we do not need to add any additives to retain the properties of the bags as in a normal case, cement is consumed within one to two months after it is produced and packed. But if there is a need to have longevity, we can add certain additives to the master batch to retain the properties of the bag. These additives allow the bags to sustain harsh conditions and environments, if exposed,
for up to a year,” says Nitesh Sharma, Director, ShriMaa Group.
Quality control for cement packaging is very important. The BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) has set norms for cement packaging. As per Cl 9.2 of IS 455: 1989, the average net mass of cement per bag shall be 50 kg. The average net mass of cement per bag may also be 25 kg subject to tolerances and packed in suitable bags as agreed to between the purchaser and the manufacturer. Similarly, as per Cl 10.2 of IS 1489 (Part 1): 1991 and IS 1489 (Part 2): 1991, the average net mass of cement per bag shall be 50 kg. The average net mass of cement per bag may also be 25 kg subject to tolerances and packed in suitable bags as agreed to between the purchaser and the manufacturer. Also, as per IS 8112: 1989, the average net mass of cement per bag may also be 25 kg, 10 kg, 5 kg, 2 kg or 1 kg, subject to tolerances and packed in suitable bags as agreed to between the purchaser and the manufacturer.
Technology of Cement Packaging
Packing and bagging of cement is the last leg of the cement manufacturing process, after which the end product is loaded into its transport and sent across for sales and distribution. This process of packaging is mechanised and precision needs to be maintained to attain uniform results in packaging.
The packing machines can be classified as a fixed type and a rotary type. The fixed type usually has 1 to 4 cement discharging nozzles while the rotary type machine has 6 to 14 nozzles, which operates in a rotating way for automated cement bag filling.
With this machinery, cement bags are filled continuously through the discharging mouth by the impeller running at high speed. A weight is set for the filling and when the cement reaches that set weight, a signal is transmitted to the main system and the filling is stopped. This process is electronically controlled; however, bags of the desired size are manually fed to the machine. Automation of the bag filling process has various advantages like
having a stable operation, giving uniformity and structure to the bags, clean and hygienic filling of cement bags, ease of maintenance and lesser mechanical faults.
Growth of the Packaging Market
According to research conducted by Future Market Insights, the cement packaging market is expected to record a CAGR of 3.9 per cent during the forecast period 2022-2032, up from US$ 344.5 Billion in the year 2022 to reach a valuation of US$ 488.4 Billion by 2032. This growth shall be credited to the increasing demand from construction industry, surging application of paper bags as it provides ease of printability and replacement of conventional plastic bags. On the other hand, evolution of advanced products will further create new and ample opportunities for the growth of cement packaging market in the above-mentioned forecast period. This will also be seen in the sustainable packaging solutions vertical over the years to come as that demand is growing in most sectors related to cement.
Moreover, the market is flooded with duplicated and adulterated construction materials. So, the manufacturers of cement are aiming to reduce instances of counterfeiting by incorporating sophisticated branding impressions on their packaging solutions. These factors are expected to drive the sales of cement packaging solutions in the global industrial packaging market.
Sustainability in Packaging

Decision makers of the cement industry have taken conscious steps towards sustainability in their manufacturing process. Cement bags and packaging also play a crucial role as they eventually become waste by-products of cement and end up in landfills or waterbeds.
According to Nitin Vyas, Managing Director and CEO, Beumer India, “Looking at the larger picture and speaking about sustainability, our cement bags are a problem. They have a high porosity. The only two countries using these bags are India and China, where China will stop using these bags going forward as they are huge pollutants. When the bag is thrown, a lot of dust is generated. The cement industry needs to become responsible and not look at saving a miniscule amount of money per bag and rather look at the bigger picture and save the environment. Approximately Rs 2 per 50 kg bag needs to be spent to improve the quality, which will result in a better environment and better health conditions for the loader as well.”
“There are no hard policies for packaging. There are no strict regulations on what kind of bags need to be used for packaging, what is the pollution limit in a packing plant etc. Sustainability is treated as fashion in today’s time, but it needs to be looked at more seriously, especially in the packaging and logistics domain,” he adds.

the approach towards sustainability and eventually
become waste by-products of cement and end up in
landfills or wat
Recycling of cement bags has been taken up as a major step towards the conservation of resources and prevention of wastage. Primarily made of polypropylene or plastic, there are two product outcomes while recycling cement sacks, i.e., recycled polymer (polypropylene) and calcium carbonate (CaCo3). The most common method of cleaning the sacks is by water; this allows agglomeration of cement (lumps) that is left in the bag. Hence, 80-85 per cent of recycled polypropylene is churned out in grey (not white) and the remaining 15-20 per cent is calcium carbonate formed from the cement already available in the sack. While washing with air is another option, it is not widely used given its high cost. The output is the same-coloured polymer and less calcium carbonate. The reason behind these polymers being coloured is due to the use of masterbatch or UV coating while making them.
The recycled polymers are sent to regions where the blow-moulding industry is predominant for conversion. In India, Dhoraji, Ahmedabad in Gujarat is the recycling ‘hub’ for all plastic scrap. Other regions include Aurangabad in Maharashtra and Hyderabad in Telangana. Nearly 30 per cent of the cement sacks are cleaned and re-used by farmers and small-scale industry manufacturers to collect/pack manure, waste, by-product, scrap etc.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) allows 15 per cent calcium carbonate and only 10 per cent recycled polymers while making cement sacks. The reason for lesser use of recycled polymer is because the handling system in India is mostly manual involving 8-10 people across the supply chain. This increases the scope for breakage and tearing. There is a bursting system that indicates the number of cement sacks that can be stacked atop of one cement sack; its breakage is tested depending on the number of sacks that are stacked before the bottom sack could burst. In China, the bursting standards are 7:1 i.e., 7 cement sacks stacked upon 1 whereas in India it is 5:1. Baling of cement sacks would spread the risk of breakage.
Cement industry in India and globally is growing. And so is the requirement of its bagging and packaging. This comes with its own set of challenges; however, the advancing automation and technology is making the process precision and waste free. Recycling of the polypropylene bags has been identified as a key solution to avoid wastage and pollution of the environment. Efforts are being made by the industry to make their brand stand out with quality packaging as well as in the direction of sustainability to build a better tomorrow.
-Kanika Mathur
Concrete
Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape
Published
7 days agoon
September 16, 2025By
admin
Milind Khangan, Marketing Head, Vertex Market Research, sheds light on Adani’s rapid cement consolidation under its ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy while positioning it to rival UltraTech, and thus, shaping a potential duopoly in India’s booming cement market.
India is the second-largest cement-producing country in the world, following China. This expansion is being driven by tremendous public investment in the housing and infrastructure sectors. The industry is accelerating, with a boost from schemes such as PM Gati Shakti, Bharatmala, and the Vande Bharat corridors. An upsurge in affordable housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) further supports this expansion. In May 2025, local cement production increased about 9 per cent from last year to about 40 million metric tonnes for the month. The combined cement capacity in India was recorded at 670 million metric tonnes in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA). For the financial year 2026, this is set to grow by another 9 per cent.
In spite of the growing demand, the Indian cement industry is highly competitive. UltraTech Cement (Aditya Birla Group) is still the market leader with domestic installed capacity of more than 186 MTPA as on 2025. It is targeted to achieve 200 MTPA. Adani Cement recently became a major player and is now India’s second-largest cement company. It did this through aggressive consolidation, operational synergies, and scale efficiencies. Indian players in the cement industry are increasingly valuing operational efficiency and sustainability. Some of the strategies with high impact are alternative fuels and materials (AFR) adoption, green cement expansion, and digital technology investments to offset changing regulatory pressure and increasing energy prices.
Building Adani Cement brand
Vertex Market Research explains that the Adani Group is executing a comprehensive reorganisation and consolidation of its cement business under the ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy. The plan is to integrate its diversified holdings into one consolidated corporate entity named Adani Cement. The focus is on operating integration, governance streamlining, and cost reduction in its expanding cement business.
Integration roadmap and key milestones:
- September 2022: The consolidation process started with the $6.4 billion buyout of Holcim’s majority stakes in Ambuja Cements and ACC, with Ambuja becoming the focal point of the consolidation.
- December 2023: Bought Sanghi Industries to strengthen the firm’s presence in western India.
- August 2024: Added Penna Cement to the portfolio, improving penetration of the southern market of India.
- April 2025: Further holding addition in Orient Cement to 46.66 per cent by purchasing the same from CK Birla Group, becoming the promoter with control.
- Ambuja Cements amalgamated with Adani Cement: This was sanctioned by the NCLT on 18th July 2025 with effect from April 1, 2024. This amalgamation brings in limestone reserves and fresh assets into Ambuja.
- Subject to Sanghi and Penna merger with Ambuja: Board approvals in December 2024 with the aim to finish between September to December 2025.
- Ambuja-ACC future integration: The latter is being contemplated as the final step towards consolidation.
- Orient Cement: It would serve as a principal manufacturing facility following the merger.
Scale, capacity expansion and market position
In financial year-2025, Adani Cement, including Ambuja, surpassed 100 MTPA. This makes it one of the world’s top ten cement companies. Along with ACC’s operations, it is now firmly placed as India’s second-largest cement company. In FY25, the Adani group’s sales volume per annum clocked 65 million metric tonnes. Adani Group claims that it now supplies close to 30 per cent of the cement consumed in India’s homes and infrastructure as of June 2025.
The organisation is pursuing aggressive brownfield expansion:
- By FY 2026: Reach 118 MTPA
- By FY 2028: Target 140 MTPA
These goals will be driven by commissioning new clinker and grinding units at key sites, with civil and mechanical works underway.
As of 2024, Adani Cement had its market share pegged at around 14 to 15 per cent, with an ambition to scale this up to 20 per cent by FY?2028, emerging as a potent competitor to UltraTech’s 192?MTPA capacity (186 domestic and overseas).
Strategic advantages and competitive benefits
The consolidation simplifies decision-making by reducing legal entities, centralising oversight, and removing redundant functions. This drives compliance efficiency and transparent reporting. Using procurement power for raw materials and energy lowers costs per ton. Integrated logistics with Adani Ports and freight infrastructure has resulted in an estimated 6 per cent savings in logistics. The group aims for additional savings of INR 500 to 550 per tonne by FY 2028 by integrating green energy, using alternative fuel resources, and improving sourcing methods.
Market coverage and brand consistency
Brand integration under one strategy will provide uniform product quality and easier distribution networks. Integration with Orient Cement’s dealer base, 60 per cent of which already distributes Ambuja/ACC products, enhances outreach and responsiveness.
By having captive limestone reserves at Lakhpat (approximately 275 million tonnes) and proposed new manufacturing facilities in Raigad, Maharashtra, Adani Cement derives cost advantage, raw material security, and long-term operational robustness.
Strategic implications and risks
Consolidation at Adani Cement makes it not just a capacity leader but also an operationally agile competitor with the ability to reap digital and sustainability benefits. Its vertically integrated platform enables cost leadership, market responsiveness, and scalability.
Challenges potentially include:
- Integration challenges across systems, corporate cultures, and plant operations
- Regulatory sanctions for pending mergers and new capacity additions
- Environmental clearances in environmentally sensitive areas and debt management with input price volatility
When materialised, this revolution would create a formidable Adani–UltraTech duopoly, redefining Indian cement on the basis of scale, innovation, and sustainability. India’s leading four cement players such as Adani (ACC and Ambuja), Dalmia Cement, Shree Cement, and UltraTech are expected to dominate the cement market.
Conclusion
Adani’s aggressive consolidation under the ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy signals a decisive shift in the Indian cement industry, positioning the group as a formidable challenger to UltraTech and setting the stage for a potential duopoly that could dominate the sector for years to come. By unifying operations, leveraging economies of scale, and securing vertical integration—from raw material reserves to distribution networks—Adani Cement is building both capacity and resilience, with clear advantages in cost efficiency, market reach, and sustainability. While integration complexities, regulatory hurdles, and environmental approvals remain key challenges, the scale and strategic alignment of this consolidation promise to redefine competition, pricing dynamics, and operational benchmarks in one of the world’s fastest-growing cement markets.
About the author:
Milind Khangan is the Marketing Head at Vertex Market Research and comes with over five years of experience in market research, lead generation and team management.
Concrete
Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series
Published
1 month agoon
August 16, 2025By
admin
PowerBuild’s flagship Series M, C, F, and K geared motors deliver robust, efficient, and versatile power transmission solutions for industries worldwide.
Products – M, C, F, K: At the heart of every high-performance industrial system lies the need for robust, reliable, and efficient power transmission. PowerBuild answers this need with its flagship geared motor series: M, C, F, and K. Each series is meticulously engineered to serve specific operational demands while maintaining the universal promise of durability, efficiency, and performance.
Series M – Helical Inline Geared Motors: Compact and powerful, the Series M delivers exceptional drive solutions for a broad range of applications. With power handling up to 160kW and torque capacity reaching 20,000 Nm, it is the trusted solution for industries requiring quiet operation, high efficiency, and space-saving design. Series M is available with multiple mounting and motor options, making it a versatile choice for manufacturers and OEMs globally.
Series C – Right Angled Heli-Worm Geared Motors: Combining the benefits of helical and worm gearing, the Series C is designed for right-angled power transmission. With gear ratios of up to 16,000:1 and torque capacities of up to 10,000 Nm, this series is optimal for applications demanding precision in compact spaces. Industries looking for a smooth, low-noise operation with maximum torque efficiency rely on Series C for dependable performance.
Series F – Parallel Shaft Mounted Geared Motors: Built for endurance in the most demanding environments, Series F is widely adopted in steel plants, hoists, cranes, and heavy-duty conveyors. Offering torque up to 10,000 Nm and high gear ratios up to 20,000:1, this product features an integral torque arm and diverse output configurations to meet industry-specific challenges head-on.
Series K – Right Angle Helical Bevel Geared Motors: For industries seeking high efficiency and torque-heavy performance, Series K is the answer. This right-angled geared motor series delivers torque up to 50,000 Nm, making it a preferred choice in core infrastructure sectors such as cement, power, mining, and material handling. Its flexibility in mounting and broad motor options offer engineers’ freedom in design and reliability in execution.
Together, these four series reflect PowerBuild’s commitment to excellence in mechanical power transmission. From compact inline designs to robust right-angle drives, each geared motor is a result of decades of engineering innovation, customer-focused design, and field-tested reliability. Whether the requirement is speed control, torque multiplication, or space efficiency, Radicon’s Series M, C, F, and K stand as trusted powerhouses for global industries.

Klüber Lubrication India’s Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N upgrades synthetic gear oil for energy efficiency.
Klüber Lubrication India has introduced a strategic upgrade for the tyre manufacturing industry by retrofitting its high-performance synthetic gear oil, Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N, into Barrel Cold Feed Extruder gearboxes. This smart substitution, requiring no hardware changes, delivered energy savings of 4-6 per cent, as validated by an internationally recognised energy audit firm under IPMVP – Option B protocols, aligned with
ISO 50015 standards.
Beyond energy efficiency, the retrofit significantly improved operational parameters:
- Lower thermal stress on equipment
- Extended lubricant drain intervals
- Reduction in CO2 emissions and operational costs
These benefits position Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N as a powerful enabler of sustainability goals in line with India’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) guidelines and global Net Zero commitments.
Verified sustainability, zero compromise
This retrofit case illustrates that meaningful environmental impact doesn’t always require capital-intensive overhauls. Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N demonstrated high performance in demanding operating environments, offering:
- Enhanced component protection
- Extended oil life under high loads
- Stable performance across fluctuating temperatures
By enabling quick wins in efficiency and sustainability without disrupting operations, Klüber reinforces its role as a trusted partner in India’s evolving industrial landscape.
Klüber wins EcoVadis Gold again
Further affirming its global leadership in responsible business practices, Klüber Lubrication has been awarded the EcoVadis Gold certification for the fourth consecutive year in 2025. This recognition places it in the top three per cent
of over 150,000 companies worldwide evaluated for environmental, ethical and sustainable procurement practices.
Klüber’s ongoing investments in R&D and product innovation reflect its commitment to providing data-backed, application-specific lubrication solutions that exceed industry expectations and support long-term sustainability goals.
A trusted industrial ally
Backed by 90+ years of tribology expertise and a global support network, Klüber Lubrication is helping customers transition toward a greener tomorrow. With Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N, tyre manufacturers can take measurable, low-risk steps to boost energy efficiency and regulatory alignment—proving that even the smallest change can spark a significant transformation.

Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series

Driving Measurable Gains

Reshaping the Competitive Landscape

CCU testbeds in Tamil Nadu

Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series

Driving Measurable Gains

Reshaping the Competitive Landscape
