Vinita Singhania: Cement Pioneer Honored with Lifetime Achievement at 7th Indian Cement Review Awards
UltraTech Cement, JK Cement, JSW Cement, etc among the winners of Indian Cement Review Awards for Fastest Growing Cement Companies
Lt General Raghu Srinivasan, Director General, Border Roads Organisation, was the guest of honour at the Awards function.
Recognising her contribution to the cement industry, Vinita Singhania, Vice Chairman and Managing Director at JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd, and Chairman of Udaipur Cement Works Ltd, was presented with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 7th Indian Cement Review Awards function held on December 15, 2023, at Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. The event, which was co-located with the 9th Indian Cement Review (ICR) Conference and the 14th Cement EXPO 2023, was organised by FIRST Construction Council (an infrastructure think tank) and Indian Cement Review (ICR).
Vinita Singhania – an industrialist and entrepreneur, having diversified knowledge and rich business experience of over 30 years – stands as a proud example, being the only woman entrepreneur in the cement sector in India. Her tenure has been marked by rapid expansion of JKCL’s business. Production capacity has jumped from 0.5 MTPA in 1982 to over 14 MTPA now; and plans to ramp up to 30Mta by 2030. Under her leadership, the company has been focusing on environment-friendly and energy efficiency technologies. In her acceptance speech, Vinita Singhania commended the progress made by the Indian cement sector and encouraged women to play a more significant role in it. She reminisced about her early days: “I remember when I had entered the industry in the late ’80s, with a basic understanding of management, a lot of eyebrows were raised as it was thought to be a male dominated industry. but over the period of time I picked up the required knowledge to operate the business. Being a woman meant handling business and family simultaneously. For the first few years, it was challenging for me but my great team helped me a lot to achieve excellence.” She further added, “We should invest our time, effort and capital to educate and empower the women for their upliftment, growth and independence. I look forward to the continued growth of the cement industry.” UltraTech Cement, JK Cement, JSW Cement, Star Cement, etc. were among the winners of ICR Fastest Growing Cement Company awards in various categories. The complete list of the 7th Indian Cement Review Award winners is as follows:
Star Cement has launched ‘Star Smart Building Solutions,’ a new initiative aimed at promoting sustainable construction practices, as per a recent news report. This venture introduces a range of eco-friendly products, including tile adhesives, tile cleaners and grouts, designed to enhance durability and reduce environmental impact. The company plans to expand this portfolio with additional value-added products in the near future. By focusing on sustainable materials and innovative building solutions, Star Cement aims to contribute to environmentally responsible construction and meet the evolving needs of modern infrastructure development.
Nuvoco Vistas reported its highest-ever quarterly consolidated EBITDA of Rs.556 crore in Q4 FY25, with annual EBITDA at Rs.1,391 crore. Cement sales reached 19.4 MMT in FY25, with Q4 contributing 5.7 MMT. Revenue rose 4 per cent YoY to Rs.3,042 crore in Q4. Net debt reduced by Rs.390 crore to Rs.3,640 crore. The company received NCLT approval for acquiring Vadraj Cement, targeting 31 MMTPA capacity by FY27. Key marketing initiatives, expanding RMX and MBM businesses, and a focus on sustainability (457 kg CO2/tonne) drove performance. Nuvoco remains focused on premiumisation, operational efficiency, and market expansion.
UltraTech Cement has expanded its production capacity by 1.4 million tonnes per annum (Mt/yr) through a combination of debottlenecking efforts and operational efficiency upgrades across several of its plants. The enhancements include an addition of 0.6Mt/yr in grinding capacity at the Nagpur facility in Maharashtra and a combined 0.8Mt/yr at the Panipat and Jhajjar units in Haryana. With these upgrades, the company’s total domestic grey cement capacity has risen to 184.8Mt/yr, while its global capacity now stands at 190.2Mt/yr.