Concrete

Digitisation is very significant in today’s times

Published

3 years ago

April 12, 2023

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Swapnil Shah, Founder and CEO, Freight Tiger, emphasises the need to digitise logistics processes for better management and optimum productivity.

What is the role of digitalisation in optimising the distribution and logistics
of cement?
Digitalisation plays a huge role. It has a massive impact and almost every customer we work with today has a chief digital officer. Digitisation is very significant in today’s times. Companies are also investing in dedicated digital teams and it is happening across all industries. Industry leaders are not only hiring digital experts for their operations but are also involved with the same for their business. This is about digitalisation only from an impact involvement point of view.
Looking into the details of what digitisation means, there are a whole lot of things that are happening today. To share a few examples,

It allows the ability to have visibility into every delivery in terms of location, ETA, etc. Customers are consuming it for their own use, within their company, and they want to give that visibility to their end customer, too. So, the most basic use of digitalisation is bringing visibility for every order to customers and helping them plan better.
Being digital allows companies to track their footprint, get data analytics, understand issues with their services and analyse their costs. This helps them make many distribution decisions based on location data, average transit times, lead distance and more.
Often cement deliveries get diverted and this is a huge problem that most service providers are trying to resolve. With digitalisation and use of technology, cement makers can keep a track of their actual end user and understand their issues and try to work on them.

How can your system make a difference in managing cost efficiency for the cement industry?
We essentially give transportation management software and a visibility platform. Transportation management software is changing rapidly today. Freight Tiger builds a unifying platform as a connective tissue among all IT platforms, stakeholders and vendors. That is the first role we play. We help our customers manage order to delivery timelines in a very tight manner.
Often there are minor issues, like distances not being correct for which freight is paid and sometimes there is backloading at cement plants. In these cases, Freight Tiger allows customers to make sure the distances are correct. If diversions or backloading happens, it gives visibility into it. That’s a unique solution that we provide.
Measurement of performance is another area where we play a role. In terms of performance of distribution footprint, optimised lead time, per kilometre rate, lead distance, free trade routes etc. Freight Tiger allows you to understand service quality and its competitive edge over the market in terms of the delivery SLAs. We allow companies to measure and influence all of this in their operations.

Tell us about 360-degree management of freight operations for the cement industry through your platform.
On the one hand, you are sourcing raw material, and on the other, you are making all these deliveries either through your distribution footprint or directly from the plant. So, a 360-degree approach means the total cost of raw material sourcing logistics, the whole cost end-to-end, day-to-day distribution, percentage of deliveries directly serviced through plants versus through a series of distribution layers.

How do you connect the Freight ecosystem for the cement industry with your platform?
Freight Tiger is a technology- and a product-first company. We are a neutral party to all that happens in our customers’ environment.
What I mean by neutral is we do not play the role of an aggregator or a logistics service provider. We have no conflict with the existing logistics service providers that the cement company uses. We integrate telematics vendors. We have done close to 200 telematics company integrations, so we stay neutral. We believe that collaboration and neutrality will take us in the industry a lot farther than just trying to remove someone from the value system.
These two are very pivotal when you think about Freight Tiger as a player in this ecosystem.

What are the key pain points in the logistics of cement. How can you help resolve the same?
First and foremost, there is inefficiency and waiting during loading or unloading of the material at the plants. Transit times also are not monitored well. So, part of the inefficiency is because people have to wait due to space constraints or other reasons.
Secondly, cement organisations often have to service their customers in a relatively tighter delivery window. That is a pain point that involves making day-to-day decisions about choosing the right way to service the customers at an optimum cost, without compromising the quality of product or service.
Another major pain point is that cement organisations do not know where their product is unloading. This means that they do not know their end consumer. This is a unique problem in the cement industry because deliveries get diverted. Participants in the ecosystem may divert the deliveries based on requirements. So, knowing the exact unloading location and knowing the end customer is a massive gap in the cement industry.
Digitising proof of delivery and freight invoicing is something we’ve never seen before. Not only for the cement companies, but everyone who works in the value chain – the trucker, the logistics provider, the transporter – each one of them can benefit from this and that would be a big step to remove paper trails and make them into digital records. When we think about EPOD and digital freight invoicing that you do at the end of the day ensures all stakeholders are benefited from it. Cement companies have contracts with logistics providers or transporters or they sometimes hire fleet owners and trucks from the market, if they do not have their own. Any solution or change ultimately needs to impact everyone in the ecosystem. EPOD and digital freight invoicing achieves just that by easing the operations for everyone.

How do you foresee the changing face of logistics for the Indian cement industry?
It is my understanding that as a cement manufacturer, I would like to know my customer or where my product is exactly getting unloaded, instead of directionally knowing where the product is headed to. Another important factor is sustainability, whereas as a manufacturer or distributor the target would be to have the same or more deliveries by travelling less, optimising and reducing empty miles.
Cement companies are also moving towards alternative fuel vehicles, electric vehicles for some part of their delivery. I see that as a big change. And overall, analytics and how some sort of machine learning AI can help me make better decisions day to day. That is also on everyone’s mind. And, I think it is going to transform how people make decisions going forward. Those are the few things I will say are quite important as we look at the future.

–Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

Cement Margins to Erode as Energy Costs Rise: CRISIL

CRISIL warns of 150–200 bps margin decline this fiscal

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

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Crisil Intelligence (CRISIL) released a report on April 13, 2026, indicating Indian cement manufacturers face margin erosion of 150–200 basis points this fiscal, reducing operating margins to between 16 per cent and 18 per cent. The firm noted that this represents a reversal from the prior year when margins expanded by 260–280 basis points. The analysis attributed the shift to rising input costs despite steady demand.

The report said that power and fuel, which typically account for about 26–28 per cent of production cost, are expected to increase by 10–12 per cent year on year, driven by higher prices for crude oil, petroleum coke and thermal coal. Brent crude was assessed as likely to trade between $82 and $87 per barrel, and industrial diesel prices rose by 25 per cent in March, raising logistics and procurement expenses. Such increases have therefore heightened cost pressures across the value chain.

Producers plan to raise selling prices by one–three per cent, which would put the average retail price of a cement bag at around Rs355–Rs360, according to the report. CRISIL’s director Sehul Bhatt was cited as saying that these hikes will at best offset a four–six per cent rise in production costs, leaving little room for higher profitability. The report added that intense competition and continual capacity additions constrain the extent to which firms can pass on costs.

Demand conditions remain supportive, with CRISIL projecting volume growth of six point five–seven point five per cent this fiscal on the back of accelerated infrastructure projects and steady industrial and commercial consumption. Nonetheless, the pace of recovery is sensitive to developments in West Asia, the speed of government infrastructure execution and monsoon performance. The agency noted that any further escalation in energy prices or delays in project execution would widen margin pressures.

Overall, the sector will continue to grow but with compressed margins as energy cost inflation outpaces the limited ability to raise prices. Investors and policymakers will therefore monitor both input cost trajectories and policy measures aimed at alleviating supply chain constraints.

Concrete

Haver & Boecker Niagara to showcase solutions at Hillhead

Focus on screening tech, diagnostics and quarrying efficiency

Published

1 day ago

April 17, 2026

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Haver & Boecker Niagara will showcase its mineral processing technologies at Hillhead 2026, scheduled from June 23–25 in Buxton, UK.

At Stand PA3, the company will present its end-to-end solutions including screeners, screen media and advanced diagnostics, with a focus on improving efficiency, uptime and throughput for aggregates producers.

Highlighting its screen media portfolio, the company will feature Ty-Wire media with hybrid design offering up to 80 per cent more open area, alongside FLEX-MAT® solutions designed to enhance wear life and throughput while reducing blinding and clogging.

The showcase will also include its PULSE Diagnostics suite, comprising vibration analysis, condition monitoring and impact testing, aimed at assessing equipment health and preventing unplanned downtime.

Commenting on the event, Martin Loughran, Sales Manager, UK & Ireland, said, “Hillhead presents an excellent opportunity for us to demonstrate how we deliver innovative technologies along with long-term service and technical support.”

The company will also highlight its Niagara F-Class vibrating screen, designed to reduce structural vibration and improve operational reliability under demanding conditions.

The participation reflects Haver & Boecker Niagara’s focus on supporting quarrying operations with advanced screening solutions and predictive maintenance technologies.

Concrete

Siyaram Recycling Secures Rs 21.03 mn Order From Anurag Impex

Domestic Fixed Cost Contract To Be Executed Within Seven Days

Published

3 days ago

April 15, 2026

admin

Siyaram Recycling Industries Limited (Siyaram Recycling) has informed the stock exchange that it has secured a purchase order for brass scrap honey from Anurag Impex. The company submitted the intimation on 10 April 2026 from Jamnagar and requested the filing be taken on record. The filing was made under the provisions of regulation 30 of the SEBI listing regulations and accompanying circular. The intimation referenced the SEBI circular dated 13 July 2023 and included an annexure detailing the terms.

The order carries a fixed cost value of Rs 21.03 million (mn) and is to be executed domestically within seven days. The contract was described as a fixed cost engagement and the customer was identified as Anurag Impex. The announcement specified that the order size contributes a short term consideration to the company. Owing to the brief execution window, logistics and dispatch were expected to be prioritised.

The filing clarified that neither the promoter group nor group companies have any interest in the purchaser and that the transaction does not constitute a related party transaction. Details were provided in an annexure and the document was signed by the managing director, Bhavesh Ramgopal Maheshwari. The company referenced compliance with SEBI disclosure requirements in its notification. The notice indicated that no related party approvals were required owing to the nature of the transaction.

The order is expected to provide a modest near term revenue inflow and to be processed within the stated execution window given the nature of the product and the fixed cost terms. Management indicated the contract will be executed in accordance with standard operational procedures and accounting recognition at completion. The development signals continuing demand in the secondary metals market for brass scrap.