Dr Hitesh Sukhwal, Deputy General Manager (Environment), Udaipur Cement Works, discusses the importance of efficient water management in a cement plant, to make production more sustainable and water positive.
Tell us about the role of water in the cement manufacturing process. Cement manufacturing is a dry process. Previously, the cement manufacturing process was based on a wet process. At present, about 99 per cent of installed cement industries in India use the dry process of manufacturing. Cement production requires water for cooling of heavy machineries, vent gases, in operation of captive thermal power plant/waste heat recovery boiler, etc. Hence, water conservation and management are important environmental aspects for all cement companies.
Does the process of cement manufacturing impact water positivity of the organisation? As stated earlier, there are two processes of manufacturing of cement i.e. dry and wet. Dry manufacturing is now the dominant process in India as well as across the globe. When we talk about consumption of water in the dry process, there is no direct mixing/use of water in the process itself to produce cement. Water is only used for cooling purposes, generation of power and mitigation of secondary pollutants at some places in the process layout. On the contrary, in the wet process of manufacturing, water mixes with raw material to make slurry and feeds into the wet process kiln for drying and calcination to form clinker. The wet process requires a large amount of water, which is a significant environmental concern. In addition to that, the wet process is much more expensive than the dry process, due to a large amount of energy required to evaporate the excess water in the slurry. Process cooling is a major component of water consumption in the cement industry. During the cement manufacturing process, a large amount of heat is generated by the pyro-processing. Water is used to cool down at various stages, likely the exhaust gases from the kiln, pollution control equipment, compressor, etc. during the process cooling, a large amount of water lost through evaporation and blowdown. The cooling water is usually recycled within the plant and replenished with water lost due to evaporation. Earlier, in most of the cement plant, a major cooling device was a Gas Conditioning Tower (GCT). The tower was used for reducing the flue gas temperature from pre-heater before entering a dust separation system like ESP/Bag filter. Now, the cement industry replaced such types of GCT with a robust pollution control system and waste heat recovery boiler for power generation. Now, cement industries are only dealing with solids and gases. In other words, water utilisation is only counted during the cement product life cycle but not in the cement manufacturing processes. Dry manufacturing process, the 3Rs principle, water positivity, etc. will sustain the cement business. Tell us about the ways in which water is conserved in a cement plant. Efficient water usage during the cement manufacturing process is a key performance indicator for the cement industry. In India, major cement industry clusters are in dry and arid regions of water scarcity, such as Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. Green-based solutions like rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge structures are two key components for water conservation within and beyond the fence. The change in cement manufacturing technology from wet to dry was a paradigm shift for cement production. The story of water conservation started from the dry manufacturing process in cement production. Although there are no direct uses of water in the dry process, it is still one of the important resources for cement production. If the cement plant is in a dry and arid region, then water consumption can become a significant issue. Cement industry has taken various steps of water conservation and management as stipulated below: Transition of manufacturing process from wet to dry – paradigm shift. Industry is framing up water conservation and management policy and abiding with. Encouraging water footprint assessment as per ISO 14046:2014 and water audit from competent authority for effective implementation of conservation and management aspects. Industry is abiding with 3Rs principle i.e. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle for water conservation and management. Adopted zero liquid discharge (ZLD) system. This is a closed loop wastewater management system with a high recycling rate and no discharge of industrial wastewater into the environment. Installed Air Cooled Condenser (ACC) for its captive thermal power plant instead of water-cooled condenser. Process optimisation for lesser water consumption. Adopting air cooling-based compressors instead of water cooling. Overhead water pipeline to address leakage promptly, instead of underground for all kinds of operational machines. Increase share of renewable energy sources which require less/zero water requirement for power generation, such as solar energy (water required only for panel cleaning) and wind energy (zero water requirements). Installation of waste heat recovery boiler-based power plant along with ACC for cooling purposes. Strengthened monitoring and measurement for 24×7 hrs. of water consumption through Industry Internet of Things (IIoT). Installed online monitoring systems to check 24X7 wastewater quality for taking prompt action to maintain the quality of water. Automatic water (sensor based) sprinkler for haul roads in mine, sensor based fogging system for dust suppression over mine’s crusher hopper. Automatic drip irrigation for horticulture use. Paved road and parking area for minimal use of water to prevent fugitive dust emissions. Deployment of road vacuum sweeping machine for housekeeping. Sensor-based water tap for office, canteen, guest house etc. Installed efficient Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and effluent treatment plant for automobile workshop and captive power plant. Digitalised 24X7 monitoring and level checking. Constructed artificial recharge structures for augmentation of ground water table. Harvesting rainwater through a mine pit and artificial pond within and beyond the fence. Encourage community participation for water conservation and management through CSR activity such as watersheds, village ponds, bunds, check dams, wells, drip irrigation, etc. Educating and conducting awareness programmes for community, schools, employees, suppliers and vendors on water conservation aspects. Afforestation and green belt development with maintaining local biodiversity. Moreover, the regulatory authorities are also creating standards (for quality and consumption) to make industry water efficient. For instance, recently the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notified a standard on water consumption for thermal power plant i.e. new plants shall have to meet specific water consumption up to maximum 2.5 Cum per MWh and achieve zero wastewater discharge, installed after 01st January 2017. The Central Ground Water Authority (Ministry of Jal Shakti) also notified standards and guidelines on groundwater abstraction and imposed abstraction/consumption fees in different categories.
Elaborate the steps taken by your organisation to reduce its water footprint. Our commitment is to reduce freshwater consumption and increase utilisation of wastewater after necessary treatment. We are emphasising upon harvesting rainwater in mine pits and artificial ground water recharge structures. Process optimisation is a key performance indicator for our cement production on every environmental aspect like energy, raw material and water uses. We have implemented all the above points to reduce our water footprint. We have developed an in-house IoT based monitoring system in all our units. Recently, we developed a mini dense forest in a 4000 sq metres area to maintain local biodiversity, prevent soil erosion and for augmentation of ground water table, which is a nature-based solution.
Has your organisation achieved milestones with respect to water positivity? Around 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, but only around 3 per cent is fresh water and barely 1 per cent is usable for humanity since most of the freshwater is frozen in glaciers and in polar ice caps. Water is a scarce resource and an essential component for every living creature on the earth. As availability of freshwater is scarce, cement industries are committed to reduce their water consumption and enhance water management. Udaipur Cement Works Limited (UCWL) has done considerable work in water conservation and becomes 3.6 times water positive (FY 2022-23). We installed a digital water flow metre for each abstraction point and digital ground water level recorder for measuring ground water level 24X7. All digital metres and level recorders are being monitored by an in-house designed IoT based dashboard. Through this live dashboard, we can assess the impact of rainwater harvesting (RWH) and ground water monitoring. All points of domestic sewage are well connected with Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and treated water is being utilised in industrial cooling purposes, green belt development and in dust suppression. The Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) is installed for the mine’s workshop. Treated water is being reused in washing activity and the unit is maintaining ZLD. UCWL installed a unique floating solar power plant in mine, which reflects the company’s innovative approach towards reducing carbon emissions and water evaporation. This floating solar power plant will help the company to save nearly 8000 cum per annum water due to decrease in evaporation loss. Going beyond the general industry practice, the company has also inventoried its carbon and water footprint as per ISO 14064–1 and ISO 14046.
How do you measure water positivity and what are the ideal benchmarks? Water positivity means creating more freshwater than what is being used in the manufacturing process and other business activities. However, new water cannot be created, so the focus of water positivity is on the efficient use of water, and to recharge and harvest more rainwater from the ground and/or from the Earth’s surface. A water positive cement plant draws minimal freshwater from ground/surface source, consumes 100 per cent self-generated wastewater for its processes and puts more freshwater back into nature (ground/harvest). Reducing dependency on freshwater is also one of the best ways to become water positive. UCWL is abiding by the guidelines of CGWA (Ministry of Jal Shakti) to implement and estimate ground water recharge potential and harvest rainwater. To become a water positive company, we are putting our all efforts on monitoring, measurement and mapping of water withdrawal, consumption with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). It is a long journey. At present we are 3.6 times water positive, and we are determined to increase the potential of it. The ideal benchmark is continual improvement in conservation of this precious natural resource. We must improve at all levels like process optimisation, green / clean energy use, monitoring, measurement, awareness and individual responsibility to save water in all aspects.
How do communities surrounding your plant contribute towards your water footprint? UCWL is continuously doing efforts on minimal use of fresh water from ground. Unit has installed artificial ground water recharge structures, dug ponds, watersheds for augmentation of groundwater tables. We are educating our surrounding stakeholders (especially schools) and raising awareness about the importance of water sanitation, hygiene and conservation. Udaipur city is known for its lakes worldwide. We have conducted lake cleaning drives with our stakeholders. Harvesting of rainwater in a mine pit and implementation of artificial ground water recharge structures is impacting groundwater tables and improving the quality of water of surroundings. We have installed an online piezometer and digital water monitoring for 24X7 checking and monitoring.
Tell us about the major challenges regarding water consumption and optimum utlisation. We are running our cement plant in the water-scarce state of Rajasthan, where we have implemented an efficient water management policy. Recently, water management is becoming a big topic for cement business. It is our prime duty to conserve water and manage it effectively for our next generation. At present, almost all our cement plants are doing their best for optimum utilisation of water.
How do you foresee achieving water positivity and optimising its consumption? Dependence on only freshwater consumption is now a big question for sustaining business. We are raising our bar for effective utilisation of wastewater in every step of manufacturing. At present, we are 3.6 times water positive and our target to become 5 times water positive in coming years. It will help us to improve our process and to produce cement with less water consumption. We are utilising 100 percent of wastewater and maintaining zero liquid discharge from our all operations. Every drop of water matters. We are actively preventing use of freshwater consumption by optimising processes, implementing AI for monitoring and following 3Rs principle through harvesting and recycling of water.
Two cement concrete pavement roads covering a total stretch of 2.2 km in Akhoya village were inaugurated on 27th June 2026 by MLA Nuklutoshi Longkumer, who attended as the special guest. The project comprises the one km L Pangersowa Road and the one point two km Longchara Junction to RC Chiten Jamir Memorial Government High School road. A formal programme followed the inauguration at the school auditorium.
A technical report was presented by Er Waloniba of the Urban Engineering Wing-III, Kohima, which stated the project was sanctioned in March 2026 under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme for 2025-26 at a sanctioned cost of Rs 29.1 million (mn). The work order was issued to M/s Ensign Construction on thirtieth April 2026 with a stipulated completion period of 12 months. Work commenced on fourth May 2026 and was completed on sixth June 2026, with the contractor and team finishing the tasks in around two months. The project included a single-lane cement concrete pavement with side drains, two slab culverts and breast walls at required locations.
Longkumer acknowledged the Chief Minister, the advisor for urban development, contractors and other stakeholders for the allocation and support, and he commended the contractor for early completion. He noted that cooperation from landowners and the community had been important in resolving land related issues that can otherwise delay developmental works. He emphasised that planned developmental activities carried out with collective effort would enable more projects to be implemented successfully.
The headmaster of RC Chiten Jamir Memorial Government High School, I Chubasenba Longkumer, outlined the school background, noting it was established in 1962, was earlier known as Government High School Changtongya and was renamed in 2014. Local representatives said the improved approach roads would ease access for students, staff, patients and the general public and fulfil a long standing aspiration of residents. A dedicatory prayer was offered by the pastor and the programme concluded with a ribbon cutting attended by village council and town council representatives.
Indian Cement Review (ICR) and Fuller Technologies brought industry, policy and technology leaders together to discuss how cement innovation can drive green construction at scale, writes Rakesh Rao.
India is building at a pace few countries can match. Highways, airports, housing, logistics parks, industrial corridors and urban infrastructure are reshaping the country’s economic geography. But beneath this growth story lies a difficult question: can India continue to build at scale without locking itself into a high-carbon future?
That question formed the core of an online panel discussion titled “Driving Green Construction Through Cement Innovation”, organised by Indian Cement Review (ICR) in association with Fuller Technologies as the Presenting Partner on June 25, 2026. The webinar brought together experts from cement technology, R&D, global industry platforms, building performance policy and international development cooperation to examine how low-carbon cement and material innovation can accelerate India’s green construction transition.
The discussion came at a crucial time. India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and reducing the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030. At the same time, the country’s construction sector is expanding rapidly, driven by urbanisation, infrastructure development, housing demand and industrial growth. Cement, as one of the most widely used construction materials, sits at the heart of this transition. It is indispensable to development, but also central to the challenge of reducing embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure.
Moderated by Nitika Krishan, Senior Urban Infrastructure and Sustainable Policy Consultant, the panel featured:
Dr Hemantkumar Aiyer, VP and Head R&D, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd;
Devika Wattal, Innovation Lead, Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA);
Dr Sunita Purushottam, MD, GBPN India (Global Buildings Performance Network); and
Vaibhav Rathi, Senior Technical Advisor, GIZ (the German Agency for International Cooperation)
Setting the tone for the discussion, Nitika Krishan underlined the scale of the challenge before the sector. “The question before us is no longer whether we build, but how we build sustainably,” she said. She pointed out that construction accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions when both operational and embodied carbon are considered. Cement production, she added, remains one of the hardest industrial processes to decarbonise.
For India, this is not merely an environmental issue. It is a development issue, a competitiveness issue and increasingly, a market issue. As one of the world’s largest cement producers and among the fastest-growing construction markets, India’s material choices will influence the carbon trajectory of its built environment for decades. As Krishan observed, sustainability solutions in economies such as India must not remain limited to laboratory success. They must be scalable, commercially viable and practical at national level.
The innovation gap: From technology to market
Experts believe that there is a need to bridge the innovation gaps for making decarbonisation in cement and concrete scalable. Devika Wattal of GCCA, explained, “The starting point must be the core cement manufacturing process itself. The first and foremost is the heart of our process, the heart of cement manufacturing. How do we reduce clinker? That is always a topic where industry is working very intrinsically.”
Clinker reduction remains one of the most important pathways for lowering emissions in cement. Since clinker production is energy-intensive and chemically emits carbon dioxide, reducing the clinker factor through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), blended cements and new chemistries can have a significant impact. Wattal also noted that carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will have a role, though it may not be the first lever for all markets.
However, she stressed that innovation cannot stop at technology development. A solution that works in the lab must also be adaptable to industry, scalable in production and acceptable in construction practice. “It is important for that innovation to be adaptable, to be scalable, and so that it can be executed in real time,” she said.
Wattal also called for stronger enabling systems around innovation. These include performance-based standards, product-level embodied carbon databases and clearer frameworks for evaluating green materials. Without these, low-carbon cement products may struggle to compete with conventional materials in procurement and design.
R&D must balance carbon, cost and performance
Bringing in the R&D perspective into the discussion, Dr Hemantkumar Aiyer of Nuvoco Vistas emphasised that low-carbon cement development cannot be treated as a single-variable exercise. Cement must perform in real construction conditions. It must deliver strength, durability, consistency and cost competitiveness, while also reducing carbon.
“The root of understanding and balancing all these aspects lies in materials, and knowing the materials,” he said.
According to Dr Aiyer, R&D teams must understand the variability of raw materials such as fly ash, slag and clinker. Different sources produce different material behaviours. This makes mix optimisation, material characterisation and processing-property relationships critical. When performance is affected, cement manufacturers must understand how strength enhancers, admixtures and other performance chemicals interact with the material system.
He also linked material science with process efficiency. Clinkerisation takes place at extremely high temperatures, around 1,400 to 1,450 degrees Celsius. Any improvement in raw mix design, process control or energy optimisation can, therefore, help reduce emissions and cost. Dr Aiyer pointed to artificial intelligence-based optimisation, Cement 4.0 tools and advanced software as important enablers for real-time process and material control.
“The more you understand the materials, the more you can control it,” he said.
LC3: The promise is proven, the sequencing is not
Limestone calcined clay cement, commonly referred to as LC3, has attracted global attention because it can reduce clinker content significantly by using calcined clay and limestone while maintaining performance in many applications. Kiranmai Sanagavarapu of Fuller Technologies said the technology itself has already moved beyond proof of concept. Fuller Technologies has worked with calcined clay technology for nearly two decades and has seen plants running in France and Ghana. These plants, she said, are meeting local and national specifications, while the economics are beginning to make sense.
“The calciner is performing, the economics is stacking up, it is making business sense to produce,” she said.
But if the technology is viable, why has adoption not scaled faster? For Sanagavarapu, the answer lies in project sequencing. Too often, clay characterisation happens after equipment is specified. This, she warned, is a backward approach because calciner design depends on clay mineralogy, kaolinite content, iron levels, reactivity, moisture and other variables.
“If you don’t know what your deposit looks like before you commit for the equipment, you are, in a way, going blind into designing,” she said.
She also identified permitting and plant integration as major bottlenecks. Environmental clearances, mining permissions and local regulatory approvals must begin early. Similarly, calcined clay must be integrated into existing grinding, blending and logistics systems from the design stage, not treated as an afterthought during commissioning.
India already has IS 18189:2023 standard for LC3, but Sanagavarapu pointed out that the standard is not yet visible enough in procurement documents. “The gap between what is technically being permitted and what the procurement is asking is the single biggest bottleneck,” she said.
In her view, successful scale-up depends on getting the sequence right: clay characterisation first, permitting in parallel, standards aligned with construction, and integration built into plant design.
India’s LC3 journey: Progress, but demand remains thin
Providing details of India’s LC3 commercialisation experience, Vaibhav Rathi of GIZ noted that JK Cement carried out the first commercial production of LC3 at its Rajasthan plant, followed by JK Lakshmi Cement three months later. These initiatives were supported by the International Climate Initiative of the Government of Germany, with IIT Delhi contributing deep institutional knowledge on LC3 research and BIS certification.
Rathi said India’s early experience has produced clear lessons. One of the biggest was the need to build capacity among regulators. While BIS certification existed, State Pollution Control Boards were unfamiliar with the technology and unsure about the approval pathway.
“The capacity building is not just needed amongst the producer and the users of the cement, but also the regulators who are working with this technology for the first time,” he said.
He also highlighted the need for better information on China clay deposits. Since China clay is currently classified as a minor mineral, centralised data on availability, quality and location is limited. If cement manufacturers are to adopt LC3 at scale, stronger mineral intelligence will be important.
The third issue is demand. LC3 has already been used in projects such as Palava City in Mumbai and Noida International Airport, but these remain limited examples. “It is in a chicken and egg situation,” Rathi said. “Cement companies are saying we need more demand, and users are saying there is not enough cement available.”
Public procurement, he suggested, could help break this cycle. If agencies such as CPWD and other public bodies begin testing, accepting and specifying LC3, it could create the market confidence needed for cement companies to invest in production and storage.
Building codes must catch up with innovation
Dr Sunita Purushottam of GBPN India argued that material choices will determine built environment emissions over the long term, but India’s current policy signals remain fragmented. Although LC3 has received BIS recognition, she pointed out that building codes, municipal bylaws, schedules of rates and sustainability codes do not yet provide uniform guidance on low-carbon cement.
“The current cement regulations are largely prescriptive and favouring traditional materials,” she said. This limits the ability of alternative materials to compete on performance, durability and emissions.
Dr Purushottam also raised the issue of taxation. Cement, including LC3, currently falls under the same GST bracket as conventional cement. A differentiated tax structure, she argued, could help accelerate market adoption. “In order for the market to demand LC3, that differentiation in the GST could go a long way,” she said.
She noted that green building certifications such as IGBC and GRIHA are already creating demand for low-carbon materials by assigning points for embodied carbon and sustainable material use. However, she said large-scale adoption will require regulatory mandates, particularly through building codes and state-level notifications.
She also cautioned that low-carbon cement alone does not solve the entire building performance problem. A material may reduce embodied carbon, but the operational carbon of a building depends on thermal performance, design, insulation and energy use. “The energy part has two elements,” she said. “One is the embodied carbon of the material itself, and the other is the operational carbon.”
Collaboration is the bridge between invention and impact
Wattal said GCCA sees innovation as a strategic priority and works through platforms that connect industry with academia and start-ups. “There is no way we will decarbonise our sector without innovation,” she said.
However, she stressed that research must be connected to actual industry challenges. Innovations developed in isolation may fail when they encounter real-world barriers such as raw material variability, plant integration, cost, standards and finance. Start-ups, too, need industry mentorship and scale-up pathways.
Wattal also flagged the importance of finance. Even strong technologies may struggle to attract investment if there is no common understanding of bankability. “We have always put projects into, is this a bankable project? But the definition of a bankable project has never been defined,” she said.
For India, she saw strong potential in its academic and start-up ecosystem, but said the challenge lies in alignment and prioritisation. The country has the research base, industrial capacity and market size. What it now needs is a coordinated route from innovation to deployment.
There is a practical concern for cement manufacturers: how can existing plants be adapted for lower emissions without compromising reliability or commercial viability?
Kiranmai Sanagavarapu addressed, “The reliability risk in calcined clay retrofit is definitely real, but it is almost always self-inflicted. The risk arises when a new process is added to an existing circuit without properly redesigning grinding and blending configurations.”
Existing cement plants, she explained, can take two broad routes. The first is external sourcing of calcined clay combined with mill optimisation. This requires lower capital investment and can potentially move in 12 to 18 months if other conditions are in place. It may reduce emissions by around 20 to 30 per cent. The second route is integrated calcination on site, which requires higher capital expenditure and longer lead times, but provides greater control over quality, supply and emissions reduction potential.
For Sanagavarapu, the principle is simple: low-carbon retrofits must be designed with intent. “Design it with an intent properly from the start. Start in the market conditions where the economics are already working,” she said.
Circularity: The overlooked advantage
According to Vaibhav Rathi, fly ash and slag are already well established in cement and construction (C&D), but construction and demolition waste remains underutilised. “C&D waste is a growing business opportunity which not many have taken up,” he said. India’s continuous construction and demolition activity creates huge volumes of waste, much of which contributes to air pollution, land degradation and material inefficiency. With the right processing and standards, this waste can be converted into useful construction products.
Rathi also pointed out that LC3 has a circular economy dimension that is often overlooked. It can use low-grade kaolin-rich clay left behind after high-grade clay is extracted for other applications. “LC3 is not only a low-carbon solution, but also a circular economy solution,” he said.
At the same time, he cautioned that LC3 in India is not yet cheap because it has not reached scale. Site-specific techno-commercial feasibility studies, supported jointly by development agencies and industry, could help companies assess whether LC3 production makes technical and financial sense at a given location.
Dr Purushottam added that India must address both low-carbon cement and construction waste together. “Both low-carbon cement and C&D waste go hand in hand. India does not have an option but to work on both,” she said.
Dr Aiyer called for policy shifts from both government and industry, including preferential purchasing of sustainable materials, minimum supplementary cementitious material requirements in public and public-private projects, and faster regulatory implementation. “If we can fast-track the regulatory standards and their implementation on the ground, that is the way to go,” he said.
From green ambition to green construction
Cement innovation is no longer only about chemistry. It is about systems. Low-carbon cement will scale only when technology, standards, procurement, finance, regulation, education and construction practice move together.
LC3 and other low-carbon technologies have shown promise. India has early commercial examples, strong research capability and growing market interest. But mainstream adoption will depend on whether demand can be created, regulators can be capacitated, standards can be embedded in procurement, and manufacturers can see a clear business case.
For a country building at India’s scale, the opportunity is enormous. Cement will continue to be central to infrastructure and urban development. The challenge now is to ensure that the cement used in India’s growth story carries a lower carbon burden.
Rakesh Rao
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JK Cement gained after being declared preferred bidder for the Gilund Limestone Block in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, a lease area of 370.96 hectares. The firm saw its shares trade at Rs. 5550.05, up by 28.45 points or 0.52 per cent from the previous close of Rs. 5521.60 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 5569.15 and touched a high of Rs. 5625.00 and a low of Rs. 5531.00.
The stock recorded turnover of 1742 shares on the counter and the BSE group A stock with face value Rs. 10 has a 52 week high of Rs. 7565.00 on 20-Aug-2025 and a 52 week low of Rs. 4670.05 on 12-Jun-2026. Last one week high and low stood at Rs. 5625.00 and Rs. 5329.00 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 45.66 per cent, while institutions and non-institutions held 40.61 per cent and 13.73 per cent respectively.
The e-auction conducted by the Government of Rajasthan resulted in the company being declared preferred bidder for the mining lease, and the allocation will enable the company to plan phased development of the deposit, subject to regulatory approvals. The Gilund block spans 370.96 hectares and its allocation is intended to support raw material security for the company’s cement operations in the region. The designation follows the government auction process and will allow the company to plan development and integration of the deposit into its supply chain.
The current market capitalisation stands at Rs. 430.38 billion (bn), reflecting market response to the mining news and prevailing valuation levels for the sector. Investors and analysts will watch for formal allotment and related disclosures that can clarify timelines, capital expenditure and expected production profiles. The report is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice, and market participants are advised to consult advisers before making decisions.
