The 36-year-old Indian Cement Review has been the business bible for the industry for decades. And the Awards are an integral part of the publication’s standing. This year, the success story repeated itself. From putting together an eminent jury panel and a stringent screening process to handing over the trophies to the esteemed winners, it was an inspiring journey all along for the 6th Indian Cement Review Awards 2023. ICR presents to you glimpses from the evening of celebrations.
The 6th Indian Cement Review Awards 2023 were held along with the 8th Indian Cement Review Conference and the 13th Cement Expo at Sheraton Hotel, Hyderabad on the 24th of February, 2023. The process of evaluation of participating companies started two months prior to the awards when the ICR jury panel was given the mandate of analysing the performances of various cement manufacturers during 2021-22. The jury panel for the 6th Indian Cement Review Awards 2023 included:
Ashok Kumar Dembla, President & Managing Director, Humboldt Wedag India
Rajesh Pathak, Managing Director, Schenck Process India
Dheepan Ramalingam, Managing Director, Ringfeeder Power Transmission
The awards were given away by Pratap Padode, Founder & President, FIRST Construction Council, invited Sumit Bannerjee, Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board, Indian Cement Review, as the hostess for the evening announced each winning company’s name and its attributes. KC Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech, was bestowed with the Man of the Year 2022-23 Award. Although he was unable to join the event personally, his heartfelt acceptance speech was delivered to the audience. His stellar journey and achievements in the Indian cement industry continue to inspire business leaders across the country.
As the winners gathered on the stage for a picture-perfect moment with their trophies in hand, the evening progressed towards cocktails and dinner, bringing the curtains down on a highly engaging and successful day with the stalwarts of the Indian cement industry.
Large Category (Turnover over Rs 5,000 cr) Fastest Growing Cement Companies Ranking Company Name Designation 1 Ultratech Maccha Rao National Sales Head 2 JK Cement Kedar M Shahagadkar Vice President , Cluster Head 3 JK Lakshmi Cement Naveen Kumar Sharma Whole Time Director 3 Dalmia Bharat Mukesh Kumar Sinha Unit Head – Kadapa
Medium Category (Turnover between Rs 2,000 cr and Rs 5,000 cr )
Fastest Growing Cement Companies
1 JSW Cement Nilesh Narwekar CEO 2 Star Cement Surender Kumar Jain AVP- Commercial & Administration
Small Category (Turnover under Rs 2,000 cr )
Fastest Growing Cement Companies
1 Udaipur Cement Works Naveen Kumar Sharma Whole Time Director 2 Shree Digvijay Cement K K Rajeev Nambiar CEO, Managing Director
Presenting Partner ExxonMobil Lubricants Private Limited Gold Sponsor JK Cement Limited PhillipCapital India Pvt Ltd Silver Sponsor LiuGong India Pvt Ltd Associate Sponsor Humboldt Wedag India Pvt Ltd Presentation Partners Martin Engineering Company India Pvt. Ltd. Beumer India Pvt Ltd Ecodea Projects & Control Private Limited Logo Sponsor Stotz Gears Private Limited
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Truly honoured and humbled at receiving this award from the Indian Cement Review! After looking at the jury members, it is truly humbling that they recognised the effort and the growth. Mr Patode spoke about the methodology used to determine the winners and he mentioned the six-year window. I remember how big we were six years ago – from a 6.2 or 6.3 MT capacity to currently around 21 MT has been quite a journey for us. I would give the entire credit for this to my team who have put in all the hard work. It hasn’t been that easy. But we have learnt a lot, loved the journey and we look forward to having a more aggressive growth path going ahead.”
It’s a very exciting moment for us; it’s exciting to see this category. In this industry, the focus is always on the biggies. This award brings the focus to companies like us who have a high appetite in terms of sustainability, growth and profitability. The excitement at winning the award is great!
Thank you to the jury for choosing Dalmia in the large category. Dalmia family is truly cherishing this moment. Kudos to Dalmia family for achieving this goal! Dalmia team on an excellent journey of sustainably making cement, and we are partnering the progress of new India. This journey will go on and on with new heights and new achievements.”
It feels really great to get this award. This award acknowledges the fact that the able leadership and guidance of our managing director, Raghavji Singhania, and our CEO, Madhavji Singhania. The guidance and mentorship that they provide fuels a lot of good things in the team that has been building over the years. This award really shows that the leadership team is driving the business in a consistent way. It feels really nice to be here as apart from the cement companies all the key stakeholders of the industry are all here. To be rewarded amongst them feels really nice!
Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd. (GMDC) has signed a Long-Term Supply Agreement (LSA) with JK Cement Ltd. for the supply of 250 million tonnes of limestone over a period of 40 years from its upcoming Lakhpat Punrajpur Mine in Lakhpat Taluka of Kutch District in Gujarat. The signing event was chaired by the Chairman of GMDC Ltd. Dr. Hasmukh Adhia, IAS (Retd.) on January 29, 2025 and the agreement was officially formalised by Roopwant Singh, IAS, Managing Director of GMDC Ltd., and Anuj Khandelwal, Business Head – Grey Cement of JK Cement Ltd., representing their respective organisations.
This agreement marks a strategic partnership towards monetising the large limestone asset of GMDC Ltd. and benefiting both the partners. It will support J K Cement Ltd. in setting up a greenfield integrated mega-capacity cement plant, fostering industrial growth in the region. The collaboration will stimulate investment, enhance industrial development, and generate thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities in Kutch, contributing significantly to the socio-economic progress of Gujarat. Kutch’s coastal proximity, improved access to domestic and international markets, and cost-efficient logistics position it as an ideal hub for cement production. Furthermore, this initiative will contribute substantially to the State Exchequer through revenue generation in the form of Royalty, National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) contributions, District Mineral Foundation (DMF) funds, and Goods & Services Tax (GST) on both limestone and cement production.
This agreement underscores GMDC Ltd.’s commitment to fostering industrial growth while ensuring the sustainable utilization of mineral resources, thereby strengthening Gujarat’s position as a leading industrial and economic State.
JK Cement has made a significant move in its growth strategy by acquiring a 60% equity stake in Saifco Cement, a cement manufacturer based in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The acquisition, valued at approximately Rs 1.74 billion, was approved during a board meeting on January 25, 2025.
Located in Khunmoh, Srinagar, Saifco’s integrated manufacturing unit, which includes both clinker and grinding capacities, aligns with JK Cement’s expansion plans. Saifco has an annual turnover of around Rs 860 million, and this acquisition not only strengthens JK Cement’s presence in the region but also offers a strategic advantage in the competitive Indian cement industry.
Saifco’s facility, spread across 54 acres, has a clinker capacity of 0.26 million tonnes per annum and a grinding capacity of 0.42 million tonnes per annum. The site also holds captive limestone reserves across 144.25 hectares, with a mineable reserve of 129 million tonnes.
This deal, which is expected to close after receiving regulatory approvals, allows JK Cement to tap into Saifco’s established infrastructure, sidestepping the time-consuming process of greenfield expansion. The acquisition will also position JK Cement to benefit from Saifco’s established market presence and supply chain.
The move signals JK Cement’s ambition to expand further in the Jammu and Kashmir market and beyond, positioning Saifco as a key regional player under JK Cement’s umbrella. The acquisition could also lead to potential job creation and greater economic opportunities for local suppliers. As part of the integration, JK Cement is expected to bring operational synergies, improving production efficiency and cost management.
This deal is seen as a model for regional consolidation in India’s growing cement industry, with JK Cement’s established brand and distribution network poised to enhance Saifco’s operations and product offerings in the region.
The World Steel Association projects the global demand for steel to post a modest growth of 1.2 per cent in 2025 after a 0.9 per cent decline in 2024. Contrast this with India’s 8 per cent projected growth in steel demand this year, driven by infrastructure investments, and it comes as no surprise that steel imports are rising.
In response to rising imports, the Union Ministry of Steel has proposed doubling the basic customs duty on finished steel products to 15 per cent, up from the current 7.5 per cent, notes Mrityunjay Kumar Srivastava, Head of Supply Chain Management, Tata Projects. With this move, the Government hopes to curb the influx of cheaper steel imports and bolster domestic manufacturers. While these tariffs support local industries, he points out that they also present challenges for companies like Tata Projects, saying, “Increased import costs can strain budgets and affect project timelines.”