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Value-Adding to Sustainable Efforts

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Hitendra Grover, Director – CAD and MSD (India and South Asia), Thermo Fisher Scientific India, brings to light the role of automated systems in making the cement sector stronger and better equipped to become more sustainable.

Sustainability today is not a choice anymore. It has become a part and parcel of boardroom discussions. It is important to understand and appreciate that some of the most polluting industries, like the cement industry, are paying close attention to the matter and taking steps to make the environment better.
There are two ways to look at sustainability – the process side and the utility side. Thermo Fisher plays on the process and environment side. They help the sector to contribute towards overall sustainability by measuring the level of harmful gases emitted at the plant. Looking at their offering in the AQMS and SEMS space, they have a significantly differentiated product portfolio where they measure the emission of harmful gases like SOx and NOx, PM2.5, PM10, CO and CO2. These are critical gases as per which the leading Pollution Control Boards (PCB) take action.
They partake in supplying end-to-end solutions and not just the measurement or analysis, which will give an input to cement players to understand their emission levels, basis which they can work with technology that help in reducing these emissions. Thermo Fisher is like a barometer that informs cement manufacturers about their current pollution and emission levels and gives them a direction on where they should go. That is a critical piece to environment protection and they are global leaders in providing solutions for the same.
Apart from this, the equipment sets that they offer, like the belt analysers, XRF technologies, are amongst the most efficient technologies in terms of electrical consumption. When it comes to energy consumption, they are efficient and can contribute that much more energy saving at the plant, which may be hardly 1 or 2 per cent, but in absolute numbers, it makes a huge difference, thereby, saving fossil fuels that are consumed. Today, approximately, 65 to
70 per cent of India’s energy mix comes from fossil fuels.

Quality Matters
The cement industry is a highly competitive industry. It is all about efficiency and operational excellence. Being frugal or innovative are the only two levers on which one can charge a premium in the cement industry. Otherwise, there is hardly any differentiation of product in the industry. That is where scale becomes important for any organisation. When the scale is large, operations must be efficient and the cost structure needs to be strong. That is where Thermo Fisher comes into the picture.
If you look at the overall ecosystem of cement of analytical instruments, it can be divided into two parts. At any purchasing CAPEX decision making, there is an upfront CAPEX cost and an OPEX cost. Here a concept known as Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) comes into play. One of the traps that some of the buyers are falling for is the upfront capex cost of any capital equipment. Services, cost of spares, availability and the upfront cost become key pieces for consideration. If one has to consider the TCO of the said equipment, it is not about saving a certain amount while purchasing but the overall cost the equipment shall incur in its lifetime and the cost associated with it. It becomes a reinvestment with spares, services, analytics and performance by having a strong coverage under Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC) for parts and labour. When the total cost is evaluated, that is where Thermo Fisher brings maximum value to its customers.
Looking at the TCO value, given the investment the customer makes and the OPEX he is going to spend over the next five years, the company offers the highest value, thereby contributing to their operational excellence. More importantly, giving the customer savings from this excellence, which is further a reinvestment to the business.
Thermo Fisher is not just a performance brand, but a value brand. They are premium, but are sure of the value they bring. The plant can show good savings on its P&L without product, which makes investment in their solutions worth it. Secondly, they have sophisticated softwares that can conduct predictive analytics and provide insights on preventive maintenance on spares and the lifecycle of the equipment. If there is a predictive alert about ordering spares, or about critical components etc., it can give timely signals from preventing the plant from getting into a shutdown, which is a loss by the hour. Preventing these incidents also is part of indirectly contributing to the cost efficiency of the cement plants.

Optimising with Automation
We have reached a level where Industry 4.0 defines the cement sector. It is not about the benefits of automation; it is more about whether we can even survive without automation. The entire value is not just functional in nature by hardware performance but also deals with how intelligent and energy efficient your systems are and how automated your processes are. This collectively defines the efficiency of operations in a cement plant.
If you look at any of the Thermo Fisher equipment, controller systems or build scales, all of them are automated by default and they bring a significant benefit to the customer. It is all about building efficiencies with automation. Customers are wrapping up their operations and going for equipment that brings automation as part of the system and not just a layer of the offer. And Thermo Fisher provides a deal packaged with automation.

Innovations Ahead
A lot is happening at Thermo Fisher and it is the company’s endeavour to add value to the
cement industry and partner with them in their sustainability journey to achieve energy transition and sustainability goals.
The company is proud of their association with the industry and they know the industry is here to stay. They are seeing a lot of growth in the core sectors like infrastructure, government projects, real estate and the government of India is making massive announcements in infra development. Moreover, the Make In India project is also adding metal to this industry. So, Thermo Fisher maintains a bullish outlook for the cement industry and therefore, as the industry grows, capacities will grow. Every major player with whom they have interacted, and every OEM that they connect with, India is coming to be the centre of attraction and become one of the top five countries in the world where the cement industry will grow at a strong CAGR and they are at the right place at the right time.
All this also puts them in a place of responsibility to be competitive, innovative and most importantly add value. The next decade is set to be some of the strongest years of the cement industry in India.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Hitendra Grover
is a business leader and has a rich experience across the domains of General Management, P&L, People management & Go to market strategy.

Concrete

India Sets Up First Carbon Capture Testbeds for Cement Industry

Five CCU testbeds launched to decarbonise cement production

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The Department of Science and Technology (DST) recently unveiled a pioneering national initiative: five Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) testbeds in the cement sector, forming a first-of-its-kind research and innovation cluster to combat industrial carbon emissions.
This is a significant step towards India’s Climate Action for fostering National Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets and to achieve net zero decarbonisation pathways for Industry Transition., towards the Government’s goal to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2070.
Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) holds significant importance in hard-to-abate sectors like Cement, Steel, Power, Oil &Natural Gas, Chemicals & Fertilizers in reducing emissions by capturing carbon dioxide from industrial processes and converting it to value add products such as synthetic fuels, Urea, Soda, Ash, chemicals, food grade CO2 or concrete aggregates. CCU provides a feasible pathway for these tough to decarbonise industries to lower their carbon footprint and move towards achieving Net Zero Goals while continuing their operations efficiently. DST has taken major strides in fostering R&D in the CCUS domain.
Concrete is vital for India’s economy and the Cement industry being one of the main hard-to-abate sectors, is committed to align with the national decarbonisation commitments. New technologies to decarbonise emission intensity of the cement sector would play a key role in achieving of national net zero targets.
Recognizing the critical need for decarbonising the Cement sector, the Energy and Sustainable Technology (CEST) Division of Department launched a unique call for mobilising Academia-Industry Consortia proposals for deployment of Carbon Capture Utilisation (CCU) in Cement Sector. This Special call envisaged to develop and deploy innovative CCU Test bed in Cement Sector with thrust on Developing CO2 capture + CO2 Utilisation integrated unit in an Industrial set up through an innovative Public Private Partnership (PPP) funding model.
As a unique initiative and one of its first kind in India, DST has approved setting up of five CCU testbeds for translational R&D, to be set up in Academia-Industry collaboration under this significant initiative of DST in PPP mode, engaging with premier research laboratories as knowledge partners and top Cement companies as the industry partner.
On the occasion of National Technology Day celebrations, on May 11, 2025 the 5 CCU Cement Test beds were announced and grants had been handed over to the Test bed teams by the Chief Guest, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology; Earth Sciences and Minister of State for PMO, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Dr Jitendra Singh in the presence of Secretary DST Prof. Abhay Karandikar.
The five testbeds are not just academic experiments — they are collaborative industrial pilot projects bringing together India’s top research institutions and leading cement manufacturers under a unique Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Each testbed addresses a different facet of CCU, from cutting-edge catalysis to vacuum-based gas separation.
The outcomes of this innovative initiative will not only showcase the pathways of decarbonisation towards Net zero goals through CCU route in cement sector, but should also be a critical confidence building measure for potential stakeholders to uptake the deployed CCU technology for further scale up and commercialisation.
It is envisioned that through continuous research and innovation under these test beds in developing innovative catalysts, materials, electrolyser technology, reactors, and electronics, the cost of Green Cement via the deployed CCU technology in Cement Sector may considerably be made more sustainable.
Secretary DBT Dr Rajesh Gokhale, Dr Ajai Choudhary, Co-Founder HCL, Dr. Rajesh Pathak, Secretary, TDB, Dr Anita Gupta Head CEST, DST and Dr Neelima Alam, Associate Head, DST were also present at the programme organized at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.

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Concrete

JK Lakshmi Adopts EVs to Cut Emissions in Logistics

Electric vehicles deployed between JK Puram and Kalol units

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JK Lakshmi Cement, a key player in the Indian cement industry, has announced the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) in its logistics operations. This move, made in partnership with SwitchLabs Automobiles, will see EVs transporting goods between the JK Puram Plant in Sirohi, Rajasthan, and the Kalol Grinding Unit in Gujarat.
The announcement follows a successful pilot project that showcased measurable reductions in carbon emissions while maintaining efficiency. Building on this, the company is scaling up EV integration to enhance sustainability across its supply chain.
“Sustainability is integral to our vision at JK Lakshmi Cement. Our collaboration with SwitchLabs Automobiles reflects our continued focus on driving innovation in our logistics operations while taking responsibility for our environmental footprint. This initiative positions us as a leader in transforming the cement sector’s logistics landscape,” said Arun Shukla, President & Director, JK Lakshmi Cement.
This deployment marks a significant step in aligning with India’s push for greener transport infrastructure. By embracing clean mobility, JK Lakshmi Cement is setting an example for the industry, demonstrating that environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with operational efficiency.
The company continues to embed sustainability into its operations as part of a broader goal to reduce its carbon footprint. This initiative adds to its vision of building a more sustainable and eco-friendly future.
JK Lakshmi Cement, part of the 135-year-old JK Organisation, began operations in 1982 and has grown to become a recognised name in Indian cement. With a presence across Northern, Western, and Eastern India, the company has a cement capacity of 16.5 MTPA, with a target to reach 30 MT by 2030. Its product range includes ready-mix concrete, gypsum plaster, wall putty, and autoclaved aerated fly ash blocks.

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Holcim UK drives sustainable construction

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Holcim UK has released a report titled ‘Making Sustainable Construction a Reality,’ outlining its five-fold commitment to a greener future. The company aims to focus on decarbonisation, circular economy principles, smarter building methods, community engagement, and integrating nature. Based on a survey of 2,000 people, only 41 per cent felt urban spaces in the UK are sustainably built. A significant majority (82 per cent) advocated for more green spaces, 69 per cent called for government leadership in sustainability, and 54 per cent saw businesses as key players. Additionally, 80 per cent of respondents stressed the need for greater transparency from companies regarding their environmental practices.

Image source:holcim

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