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The safety of people is non-negotiable

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3 years ago

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Nirmal K Jain, Safety Head, JK Lakshmi Cement, talks about the company’s Zero Harm goal, the efforts that they are putting in place to achieve this and the challenges that they need to overcome.

How do you define a ‘safe plant’?
Feeling safe is an important aspect of life. A safe plant, a safe society, a safe job, etc., are things everyone desires.
Manufacturing safety is important because it keeps people alive and unharmed. To prevent industrial accidents, injuries, illnesses, and deaths, every manufacturer needs to create a safe plant, safe workplace for employees. A plant is safe where zero harm, zero injuries and zero excuses are outcomes of safety. A plant is safe where the safety of people is non-negotiable. A plant is safe where everyone feels safe, their own responsibility and follows the same honestly without any excuse. A plant is safe where never compromise safety in order to meet productivity, quality or cost goals. A plant is safe where each and every safety rules and regulations are considered as prime measure and involves safety imbibed in the working culture and environment.
Our safety aim is Zero Harm. We believe that all injuries and occupational illnesses can be prevented. We drive safety is everyone’s responsibility. As a responsible management we are committed to provide a safe and secure environment for working. For us, the safety of our people is non-negotiable. We will never compromise safety in order to meet productivity, quality, or cost goals. Following safety rules and procedures is the responsibility of each of us, including management. There is no excuse for wilful failure to accept this obligation. Working together, we can move toward our zero incidents goal.

What are the key areas where safety in a cement plant is of paramount importance?
Safety is important in each and every part of the plant, equipment, process etc. But few key areas where safety in cement plant is of paramount importance:

  • Coal and AFR storage – fire hazard
  • Raw material and finished goods vehicle – driver’s training and education, health issue, odd hours driving, vehicle condition etc.
  • Raw material handling – dust exposure, vehicle movement, illumination etc.
  • Silo jam removal – high heat and temperature
  • Confined space working – silo cleaning and refractory work
  • Plant shutdown and breakdowns – where outside 1000+ contractual workmen work for the given period of time

What kind of safety personal protective equipment do personnel use at the plant?
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is worn to prevent injury in the workplace, when engineering and administrative controls are not feasible or are being implemented. They are no substitute for engineering or administrative controls and they do not eliminate any hazard. Safety PPE creates a barrier between the hazard and workmen contact. Safety PPE must meet BIS Standards and guidelines.
Every plant must have the Safety PPE’s matrix and display the same at the workplace. Safety PPE’s must be provided to all the plant personnel without any payable cost.
At UCWL, we categorise safety PPE in two types – Mandatory Safety PPE and Job Specific Safety PPE. Safety shoes, safety helmets and reflective strips are kept in the mandatory category and all other safety PPE are kept under the job specific category. Here we procure safety PPE as per BIS guidelines. We also insist and ensure that all our contractor’s manpower coming for shutdown jobs use standard and approved safety PPEs only.
Following types of safety PPEs mainly used in cement plant:

  • Eye and Face Protection – Safety goggles, over specs, face shield etc.
  • Respiratory Protection – Dust Masks – with or without valves, air purifying respirator-cartridge type, air-supplied respirator, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)
  • Head Protection – Safety helmet
  • Foot Protection – Steel toed safety shoe, composite toed safety shoe, gumboots, chemical resistance safety shoe
  • Hand Protection – Safety hand gloves coming in various categories depending on requirement like Cotton, rubber, leather, metal mesh, Kevlar etc.
  • Hearing Protection – Earplugs and earmuffs
  • Body Protection – Aprons, chemical/heat resistance suits,
  • Fall Protection – Safety harness, fall arresters, lifelines etc.

Does technology play a role in ensuring plant safety? If yes, how?
Technology and artificial intelligence are increasingly playing a significant role in cement plants. Installing sensors in manufacturing equipment can aid in finding the source of defects that can further help in saving time. These methods are cost-effective and give a rapid boost to overall efficiency. Advanced predictive systems are also a great source of examining and inspecting the process chain. It helps in analysing and making prospective future decisions through data collection. The data thus collected can be used in an informed manner and can even provide solutions to several problems. Many software based programmes in the field of safety, which makes the things more convenient and easy to retractable information of the past. Internet of Things (IoT), it is very helpful in making smart cement plants.
It can be used in the following areas:

  • Data analytics
  • Suitable manufacturing process of cement
  • Real-time based information
  • Reduction of carbon emissions
  • Saving of time and fast troubleshooting

What are the safety guidelines of your organisation? What is the penalty for not following the same?
At UCWL, we have well planned, systematically designed safety guidelines/ standards for safety in our organisation. We have Consequence Management Standards for Employees / workers who do not follow safety or break any safety rules and guidelines at the workplace and penalties are imposed. Here, we have comprehensive safety guidelines in our plant for achieving our vision ‘Zero Harm’. These guidelines keep employees safe and protects their well-being. By following the safety guidelines employees can perform their jobs more effectively and confidently without fear of being injured or suffering from an illness. We have separate safety guidelines for road safety, lifting safety, working at height, hot work, confined space working, covid-19 etc.

Tell us about the major challenges faced in terms of ensuring plant safety?
The major challenges we face in terms of ensuring plant safety are:

  • High traffic movement
  • Housekeeping – flying dust from various processes
  • High use of mobile phones at workplace
  • Untrained or unskilled work force during plant shutdowns
  • Confined space working
  • Plant expansion and upgradation
  • New green and brown field projects
  • Update safety with new technologies
  • Biological threats like Covid-19

Do you conduct safety training and audits for your plant personnel? Explain in detail.
Safety training and audits are an essential part of safety management system of any plant.
At UCWL, we conduct various Safety Trainings like pre-job training, on-job training, classroom training, outbound training, workshops, seminars, etc. for education and safety awareness of our plant personnel. Here training is conducted on the basis of a training calendar which is prepared through various levels of inputs like BBSM, HOD Feedback, employee needs, job requirements, survey, employee performance, etc.
Details about various safety conducted in our plant:

  • Safety Induction Training: This is a mandatory training for all newly joined employees and workmen. We also have a separate visitor’s safety induction program which is mandatory for all the visitors, contractors, service engineers etc. It is interlocked with our Gate Pass Procedures. The gate pass will be prepared only after safety induction is done. Also, we ensure refresher training of all temporary workmen at every six months which is at time of gate pass renewing.
  • Jobsite training: Jobsite safety training is provided for specific jobs before starting the same. It helps to know better about a job, its details, its hazards and applicable safety precautions before the actual execution of jobs at the workplace.
  • Classroom training: Here classroom training is conducted at regular intervals which covers all safety standards and other major topics like first aid, rescue operation, home safety, onsite emergency, health, and hygiene etc.
  • External faculty training: We also conduct training by external faculties who are experts in their fields for better skill development.
  • Skill development training: These trainings are conducted for our plant personnel like rescue operations, safety auditing, scaffolding erectors, and inspectors etc. by sending them at training centers or pursuing courses to develop their skills.
  • Safety audits: These audits show the real picture of workplace safety. It helps us to determine how effective our safety management program works. It enables the management to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. This can help to identify areas where improvements are needed. Safety audits can be performed internally by supervisors and employees, or by third-party auditors when you need an independent, non-biased audit of your operations.

At our plant different types safety audits conducted as mentioned below:

  • Periodic Safety Audit: Periodic Safety Audits are conducted by a cross functional team or by individuals as mentioned in the audit schedule. These audits cover every part of the plant.
  • Internal Safety Audits: We regularly conduct internal safety audits for assessment of safety management systems and workplace safety. These internal audits are conducted as per
  • the checklist and by our trained internal auditors’ team.
  • Safety Audits as per BIS 14489: This is mandatory safety audit for confirming our safety system and workplace safety as per the requirements of BIS 14489. This is conducted by an external competent agency once in two or three years depending on different state rules.
  • External Audit: Some certification audits like ISO 45001:2018 conducted by certification bodies for the confirmation of standard practices of safety as per the requirement of standard at workplace.

How do you plan to better the safety of your plant in the years to come?
The cement industry is not nearly as advanced as some other heavy manufacturing industries in the implementation of occupational health and safety management systems. In the upcoming years, we need to focus more on the design of inherently safe plants that minimise the potential risk of accidents. We should continuously keep adapting technology driven best safety practices. In addition, we need to continuously focus on skill development, training and awareness about the new changes and upgrades in technology. We should modify equipment and processes where manual involvement should be reduced and strengthen all types of energy isolation and the Lock-Out Tag-Out Try-Out (LOTOTO) system for all small and large jobs. We also should focus on behaviour based safety as we know that without a positive mind, one cannot do anything. Imbibing safety culture across the functions
and involvement of the end-to-end supply chain stakeholders will contribute to manage better safety in upcoming years.

– Kanika Mathur

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Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

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5 days ago

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September 16, 2025

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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.

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

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1 month ago

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August 16, 2025

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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.

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Driving Measurable Gains

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1 month ago

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August 16, 2025

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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.

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