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Digital Transformation

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Digitalisation is the way forward for the cement industry. Industry 4.0 brings with it tools that will help manufacturers in determining the desired product quality. ICR looks at the various channels through which cement companies can transform their processes to improve efficiency and sustainability.

The world is moving forward with technology and innovation and so is the Indian cement industry. It is increasingly embracing Industry 4.0 technologies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance product quality. Efficiency of a cement is the key to achieve the best production rate at the best cost. Costs of raw material, fuel and equipment are rising by the day. Thus, it is important to ensure accuracy through implementation of process controls and technical support. The cement industry globally is adopting Industry 4.0 technologies through automation, AI, data and more.
Automation is being used to optimise production processes, reduce downtime, and improve product quality. Automation is being used to control the entire production process, from raw material processing to finished product packing. Artificial intelligence is being used to analyse production data to optimise processes and reduce energy consumption. Indian cement companies are using machine learning algorithms to predict equipment failures and to optimise production schedules. Internet of Things (IoT) is being used to monitor equipment in real-time, enabling predictive maintenance and reducing downtime. It is also used to optimise logistics processes, including transportation and inventory management. Augmented reality is being used to improve safety and training. Indian cement companies are using AR to train workers and to improve safety by creating virtual simulations of hazardous scenarios. Big data analytics plays a key role to analyse production data, which in turn is used to optimise processes and improve product quality. Indian cement companies are using data analytics to identify the root cause of quality issues and to optimise production parameters.
Digitalisation has become a key factor to business success, encompassing physical assets, plants in multiple geographies, industry domains and regulatory frameworks. Early adopters can realise competitive advantages by leveraging digital technologies to identify and propagate best practice throughout their organisation, creating value for stakeholders.

ROLE OF AUTOMATION IN CEMENT INDUSTRY
Automation has a significant role to play in the cement industry. Here are some examples of how automation is being used in the industry:

Artificial intelligence shall be used to analyse production data, to optimise processes and reduce energy consumption


Process control: Automation systems can be used to monitor and control various stages of the cement production process. This includes controlling the raw material feed, grinding, and blending of raw materials, and the kiln and clinker production process. By automating these processes, cement companies can improve product quality, reduce energy consumption, and increase production efficiency.
Quality control: Automation systems can be used to monitor the quality of cement at various stages of production. This includes monitoring the chemical composition of raw materials, the fineness of grinding, and the composition of the final product. By automating quality control, cement companies can ensure consistent quality and reduce waste.
Maintenance: Automation systems can be used to monitor the condition of equipment in real-time, enabling predictive maintenance. By using data to predict when maintenance is needed, cement companies can reduce downtime and optimise maintenance schedules.
Logistics: Automation systems can be used to optimise logistics processes, including transportation, storage, and distribution. By automating logistics processes, cement companies can reduce transportation costs, improve inventory management, and increase delivery efficiency.
“For the cement industry we primarily have bulk loading systems with an objective to reduce fugitive emissions that are generated while bulk loading. This means that we are trying to control dust at the cement plant,” says Venkatesh Ravula, CEO, DCL Bulk Technologies. 
“We are the first organisation to bring this technology to the customers which makes us leaders in the field of dust emission control while bulk loading. Over a period of 4 decades, we have constantly upgraded our products and have made them better suited to the Indian requirements,” he adds.
Safety: Automation systems can be used to improve safety in the cement industry. For example, automated systems can be used to monitor the emission of pollutants, detect potential hazards, and improve emergency response times. By improving safety, cement companies can protect workers and reduce the risk of accidents.
Automation has a significant role to play in the cement industry. By automating processes and leveraging data, cement companies can improve product quality, reduce energy consumption, optimise maintenance schedules, improve logistics, and enhance safety.

EFFICIENCY FROM SOFTWARES AND MONITORING SYSTEMS
To achieve efficient and productive functionality in plants, multiple softwares, equipment, and monitoring systems are installed to ensure that production processes run smoothly, and equipment operates optimally.

By automating logistics processes, cement companies can reduce transportation costs, improve inventory
management, and increase delivery efficiency.


Monitoring systems help ensure consistent product quality by providing real-time data on the production process. By monitoring production parameters, such as temperature and pressure, operators can quickly detect and correct any deviations that could impact product quality. They also help in identifying inefficiencies in the production process, such as equipment breakdowns, and can trigger automated responses to reduce downtime. This reduces the time and cost associated with maintenance and repair.
“We are an AI and IoT based predictive and prescriptive maintenance solution company. We predict the maintenance of equipment and save downtime for the plant which can cause millions of dollars to the organisation. We have an IoT device which can calculate six parameters like vibration, temperature, humidity, acoustic data, electric signals and the speed of the machine. Once this data is retrieved from the machine, the cloud systems analyses this data and comes up with analytics with its algorithm,” says Prashant Verma, Co-Founder and India Head, Nanoprecise Data Services.
Monitoring systems can help reduce operational costs by optimising energy consumption and reducing waste. By monitoring energy usage and production data, operators can identify opportunities for improvement, such as reducing the use of raw materials or optimising kiln temperatures. They also help improve maintenance operations by providing real-time data on equipment performance. This enables predictive maintenance, where maintenance tasks are scheduled before equipment failures occur. This reduces downtime, reduces the cost of repairs, and increases equipment lifespan.
“Our instruments are mainly used for the purpose of efficiency measurements. We have equipment that helps measure ultrasonic heat in the preheaters which helps detect any irregularity in the temperatures. This helps them take corrective action, thus, preventing damage or slowing down of the plant which leads to better efficiency. Similarly, we have multiple equipment that support the efficiency of cement plants,” says Piyush Patel, Head – Strategic Business, Testo India.
Monitoring systems help improve safety in the Indian cement industry by monitoring equipment for potential hazards and detecting potential safety risks. Automated responses can be triggered to prevent accidents, and operators can be alerted in real-time to potential issues. monitoring systems have numerous advantages for the Indian cement industry, including improved product quality, increased efficiency, cost reduction, enhanced safety, and improved maintenance. By investing in monitoring systems, Indian cement companies can become more competitive, sustainable, and efficient.

By automating quality control, cement companies can
ensure consistent quality and reduce waste

SUSTAINABILITY WITH TECHNOLOGY
Technology can play a critical role in achieving sustainability in cement production by improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, reducing waste, and improving production processes through digitalization and data analytics.
To achieve Net Zero, it is essential to use alternative fuels and raw materials. Growing technology in the Indian cement industry can help in analysing and adjusting equipment of fuels and raw materials that can make a viable end product that serves the purpose and protects the planet.
Keyur Shah, Business Manager, SB Engineers, says, “As far as alternative fuels are concerned, petcoke, lignite, municipal wastes etc., are being used. When fuel type is changed, the burning process changes. The calculation with a different fuel is the quantity of fuel that needs to be pumped in to achieve the thermal balance in the burning zone area. It becomes more relevant to monitor and understand thermal knowledge in this scenario. Cement industry is using cementitious materials in their raw mix. Flyash or gypsum is mixed with clinker and then grinding is done. The percentage of this mix varies and grinding properties also change accordingly. What needs to be monitored is the particle size to understand if the process of grinding is giving an optimum output. Our equipment help monitor the changes in process when alternative fuels are used and when the raw mix has other cementitious materials in various proportions.”
Technology can help improve the energy efficiency of cement production equipment, such as kilns and mills. Advanced process control systems can optimise production parameters, such as temperature and pressure, to reduce energy consumption. Additionally, energy-efficient motors, variable speed drives, and heat recovery systems can help reduce energy usage.
“In the area of AFR, we are working on equipment and are one of the first ones to provide solutions for AFR when the equipment was newly installed and even spares were unavailable in the country. Many esteemed groups in the country use our solutions for AFR and life enhancement of these components. When it comes to heat, Vautid has always been working on areas where heat is an integral part of the process and leads to wear. Our products are designed in a manner to meet a combination of wear requirements, mostly to do with heat” says Anand Sundaram, Managing Director, Vautid India.
Newer technologies like carbon capture are slowly advancing in the Indian cement industry and can revolutionalise the decarbonisation mission of the industry. Similarly, data analytics can help optimise production processes by identifying areas of improvement, reduce energy consumption, and improve product quality. Digitalisation can also help improve supply chain efficiency, reduce logistics costs, and improve inventory management. Technology can also help cement companies recycle waste materials from the production process, such as slag or fly ash. This reduces waste and conserves natural resources. Additionally, technology can help companies optimise the use of water and reduce the amount of wastewater produced during the production process.
With the use of softwares, monitoring systems, better machinery, newer technologies and taking the digital route, the Indian cement industry is moving towards cost and energy effective cement manufacturing, which is going to benefit the industry with better production value in the long run.

-Kanika Mathur

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Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

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2 weeks 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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