The 14th Cement Expo and 9th Indian Cement Review Conference 2023 flags off
The two-day event was inaugurated by Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI; and Ali Emir Adiguzel, Founder and Director, World Cement Association
The chief guests in their speeches reaffirmed their confidence in the Indian cement industry’s stance of ‘Driving Sustainability Through Technology.’
The 9th Indian Cement Review Conference 2023 proved to be a melting pot of ideas in technological innovations that will help the cement industry become more sustainable and achieve its net zero targets.
The Conference and EXPO charted the journey of the Indian cement industry – from hard-to-abate to possible-to-abate.
DELHI, December 14, 2023: The prestigious Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi, came alive on the morning of December 14th, as luminaries, exhibitors, visitors and delegates converged for the grand inauguration of the 14th Cement Expo and 9th Indian Cement Review Conference 2023. The momentous occasion witnessed the ceremonial ribbon-cutting by Dr Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI; and Ali Emir Adiguzel, Founder and Director, World Cement Association, initiating two days of insightful discussions and collaborative initiatives.
Pratap Padode, Founder, FIRST Construction Council (FCC) guided the esteemed dignitaries to the Expo, facilitating introductions with exhibitors and detailed discussions on the showcased products and services. Cement EXPO 2023, seamlessly co-located with the 9th Indian Cement Review (ICR) Conference and the 7th Indian Cement Review Awards, is masterfully organised by FCC, an eminent infrastructure think tank, and Indian Cement Review (ICR), India’s foremost cement publication with a rich 38-year legacy. The 14th Cement EXPO garnered significant support from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government e Marketplace (GeM), and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India (GoI).
The formal inauguration of the 9th Indian Cement Review Conference 2023 commenced with the traditional lamp lighting ceremony, accompanied by keynote addresses and speeches from distinguished chief guests and dignitaries. Among the notable speakers were Dr Vibha Dhawan, Emir Adiguzel, Dr LP Singh, Director General, National Council for Cement and Building Material, and Kaustubh Phadke, India Head, Global Cement and Concrete Association.
Reiterating their confidence in the Indian cement industry’s commitment to ‘Driving Sustainability Through Technology,’ the chief guests set the tone for the conference. The 9th Indian Cement Review Conference 2023 served as a dynamic forum, bringing together diverse perspectives and fostering discussions on technological innovations crucial for the industry’s sustainability journey. With a focus on the theme ‘Driving Sustainability Through Technology,’ the conference aimed to spotlight advancements and suggest strategies for leveraging technology’s transformative power in the cement sector.
In his opening address, Padode said, “All the big players of the Indian cement industry are focussing on increasing their capacity, with an estimated projection of 200 million tonnes of fresh capacity to be added in the coming years. Emphasis is also laid on being the lowest-cost cement producer in India. In fiscal 2023, 30-32 MT (inclusive of grinding and integrated units) capacity addition is reportedly expected. Given that the higher input costs have moderated we could see capacity addition picking up pace in fiscal 2024 at over 30-32 MT leading up to the addition of 150 MT by fiscal 2027. Considering this speed of expansion, the tug of competition and a buoyant demand from infrastructure and housing segments, the Indian cement sector is poised to take a giant leap.”
In his keynote address, Dr Singh said, “The definition of sustainability means we continue development and growth of our infrastructure while protecting the environment for our future generations. As far as sustainability in cement and concrete is concerned, NCCBM is working on every aspect of cement and concrete sustainability.”
Phadke further added, “Indian cement sector is most energy efficient, with more than 40 per cent of CO2 intensity reduced at India level. The industry progress report highlights the work done by cement industry globally. It follows the roadmap released globally by GCCA at the Glassdoor Summit to deliver a Net Zero concrete by 2050. The report also highlights our progress towards 2030.”
Dr Dhawan addressed the issue of climate change: “Nearly two-third of infrastructure development in India is still pending. Cement and steel are materials that are required in bulk to support this kind of development. This gives an insight into a higher demand, leading to the need of higher production, which is an opportunity for cement manufacturers to grow their business and develop the nation.”
She added, “The unfortunate part of climate change is that it was established that a 1.5oC increase in temperature is acceptable as per norms, but that is slowly shifting to 2.5oC. Temperature above 52oC will not support human life. It will also impact biodiversity and climate change will bring along with itself a plethora of diseases known and unknown. The impact will not be uniform across the globe. Countries like ours will be impacted more as we are already affected by climate change.”
In his speech, Adiguzel said, “The power of Indian Cement industry goes beyond its sheer size. It is a catalyst for economic growth driving employment, investment and innovation, creating job opportunities directly or indirectly. The question is – are global Net Zero policies colliding with economic growth in India? Navigating the interplay between Net Zero policies, economic policies and emission targets in the cement industry is a global conversation.”
Jaxay Shah, Chairperson, Quality Council of India, joined the event via a video message. In his message, he said, “The Cement Expo stands as a testament of the dynamic adaptive nature of our industry. It is crucial that ideas, best practices and technology come together to forge the future of the cement and construction centres. This year’s theme ‘Driving Sustainability Through Technology’ highlights the intersection of technological innovations and sustainable practices. This synergy is essential for the growth of the cement industry in harmony with environment conservation.”
The conference included presentations by Flender, Gebr. Pfeiffer, Loesche India and ATS Conveyors.
Panel Discussions
The panel discussion on ‘Driving sustainability: Challenges and opportunities in cement industry’ covered the importance of collaboration, innovation, and knowledge sharing to drive the industry towards a more sustainable future. The panel included Manoj Rustagi, EVP & CSO, JSW Cement; Kaustubh Phadke, India Head, Global Cement & Concrete Association (moderator), Sameer Bharadwaj – Head Manufacturing Excellence, JK Cement; Soundararaj Naveenthakrishna – General Manager, IKN Engineering; and Aashish Maheshwari, Associate Business Director, Evonik India Pvt Ltd.
‘Exploring Alternative Materials and Technologies for Sustainable Cement Manufacturing’ was another topic that was discussed by an industry panel, which included Dr SB Hegde, Prof Jain University & Visiting Professor Pennsylvania State University, USA, (moderator); Ashwani Pahuja, Chairman & Managing Director, NextCem Consulting; KN Rao, My Home Industries; Dr Bibekanand Mohapatra, Advisor & Consultant, Ultratech; and Rajesh Khanna, Director Sales & Marketing, Loesche India.
Ulhas Parlikar, Global Consultant, presented a technical paper on ‘Circular Economy Practices in Cement Production,’ while Dr LP Singh, Director General, NCB, presented a paper on Role of CCUS in decarbonising Indian Cement Industry.
Day 1 of the 14th Cement Expo and 9th Indian Cement Review Conference unfolded as a melting pot of ideas, showcasing technological innovations poised to make the cement industry more sustainable and accelerate progress toward net-zero targets. The event effectively charted the trajectory of the Indian cement industry, transitioning from hard-to-abate challenges to a realm of possibilities achievable through technological advancements.
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.
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.
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.