Concrete

We intend to use C&D waste as a raw material

Published

1 year ago

May 17, 2024

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Neeraj Akhoury, Managing Director, Shree Cement, talks about their commitment to sustainability, advanced technology and quality assurance.

What are the various types of concrete mix manufactured by your organisation?
Shree Cement’s product, Bangur Concrete, introduces a range of specialised concrete solutions designed to meet the diverse applications and structural requirements of our customers. Our portfolio includes self-compacting concrete, temperature-controlled concrete, decorative concrete, fibre reinforced concrete, green concrete and high performance concrete.
Our application-specific concrete solutions help in timely completion of all projects, ensuring durable structures for every application in construction projects of all kinds.

Tell us about the key factors that make your concrete brand stand apart from its competitors in the industry.
Bangur Concrete is focused on setting up its own capex state-of-the-art manufacturing units equipped with modern machinery and advanced technology, backed by our world class cement manufacturing units. These units will be equipped to manufacture all types of special concrete, having advanced testing facilities, experienced best-in-industry technical manpower and digitised solutions. One of our USPs is our focus on providing sustainable green solutions to our customers by keeping our plants environmentally friendly and reducing carbon footprint through optimised mix designs and the use of best mineral admixtures.

Which type of concrete mix from your organisation is the revenue driver?
We will be producing concrete ranging from M5 to M80 grades, and special products as well. Typically, a majority of revenue comes from M20-M30 grade of concrete, which is being
used in most of the construction including IHBs.

Tell us about the key technologies used in the manufacturing process of your ready-mix concrete?
We have equipped our plants with various technologies to enhance efficiency and sustainability. These include concrete recycling plants for reusing waste concrete, dust filters for absorbing dust at silos for reuse, vehicle tracking systems for transparent service, quality management systems for quality assurance, advanced batching systems for accuracy in customer orders and filter press for water reuse.

What is the ratio of M-Sand or manufactured sand used in your concrete mix?
We plan to use ~29 per cent manufactured sand in our concrete mix.

How do you incorporate sustainability in your products?
We plan to make ~85 per cent of Bangur concrete using flyash and GGBS, two environmentally sustainable choices which emit less carbon dioxide. Additionally, we intend to use Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste as a raw material in our concrete, addressing environmental issues related to its disposal.

What are the major challenges faced by your concrete brands from manufacturing to delivering stages?
Major challenges that we face include traffic restrictions, space constraints for setting up plants in proximity to the city, changing construction schedules (such as night pours), meeting strict supply windows and navigating changing government norms like NGT ban in Delhi NCR. Additionally, the longer distance between RMC plants and major development areas due to unavailability of industrial lands poses another challenge. However, we have an excellent team in place who are well positioned to find sustainable and logical solutions to challenges that come our way.

What does the near future hold for the ready mix concrete vertical of your organisation?
One of the biggest contributions to our nation’s economy comes from the construction industry where concrete plays a very important part. Ready mix concrete (RMC) is crucial for speedy construction with consistent quality assurance. In India, RMC accounts for 20 per cent of construction consumption, whereas in developing nations it is as high as 75 per cent. We are optimistic that India will soon bridge this gap, boosting the country’s growth and development.
Shree Cement is one of India’s leading cement manufacturers. Foraying into the RMC business will propel us forward in our journey to becoming a multi-product company poised to play a significant role in shaping our country’s vision of having world class infrastructure across sectors like airports, ports, metro, roads, railways, etc. Shree Cement will set up ~100 Bangur concrete plants in the next three years, generating ~3000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. We will be operating in ~50 cities to serve our customers in various segments.

Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

Adani Cement to Deploy World’s First Commercial RDH System

Adani Cement and Coolbrook partner to pilot RDH tech for low-carbon cement.

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

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Adani Cement and Coolbrook have announced a landmark agreement to install the world’s first commercial RotoDynamic Heater (RDH) system at Adani’s Boyareddypalli Integrated Cement Plant in Andhra Pradesh. The initiative aims to sharply reduce carbon emissions associated with cement production.

This marks the first industrial-scale deployment of Coolbrook’s RDH technology, which will decarbonise the calcination phase — the most fossil fuel-intensive stage of cement manufacturing. The RDH system will generate clean, electrified heat to dry and improve the efficiency of alternative fuels, reducing dependence on conventional fossil sources.

According to Adani, the installation is expected to eliminate around 60,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, with the potential to scale up tenfold as the technology is expanded. The system will be powered entirely by renewable energy sourced from Adani Cement’s own portfolio, demonstrating the feasibility of producing industrial heat without emissions and strengthening India’s position as a hub for clean cement technologies.

The partnership also includes a roadmap to deploy RotoDynamic Technology across additional Adani Cement sites, with at least five more projects planned over the next two years. The first-generation RDH will provide hot gases at approximately 1000°C, enabling more efficient use of alternative fuels.

Adani Cement’s wider sustainability strategy targets raising the share of alternative fuels and resources to 30 per cent and increasing green power use to 60 per cent by FY28. The RDH deployment supports the company’s Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)-validated commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Concrete

Birla Corporation Q2 EBITDA Surges 71%, Net Profit at Rs 90 Crore

Stronger margins and premium cement sales boost quarterly performance.

Published

3 days ago

November 12, 2025

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Birla Corporation Limited reported a consolidated EBITDA of Rs 3320 million for the September quarter of FY26, a 71 per cent increase over the same period last year, driven by improved profitability in both its Cement and Jute divisions. The company posted a consolidated net profit of Rs 900 million, reversing a loss of Rs 250 million in the corresponding quarter last year.

Consolidated revenue stood at Rs 22330 million, marking a 13 per cent year-on-year growth as cement sales volumes rose 7 per cent to 4.2 million tonnes. Despite subdued cement demand, weak pricing, and rainfall disruptions, Birla Jute Mills staged a turnaround during the quarter.

Premium cement continued to drive performance, accounting for 60 per cent of total trade sales. The flagship brand Perfect Plus recorded 20 per cent growth, while Unique Plus rose 28 per cent year-on-year. Sales through the trade channel reached 79 per cent, up from 71 per cent a year earlier, while blended cement sales grew 14 per cent, forming 89 per cent of total cement sales. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan remained key growth markets with 7–11 per cent volume gains.

EBITDA per tonne improved 54 per cent to Rs 712, with operating margins expanding to 14.7 per cent from 9.8 per cent last year, supported by efficiency gains and cost reduction measures.

Sandip Ghose, Managing Director and CEO, said, “The Company was able to overcome headwinds from multiple directions to deliver a resilient performance, which boosts confidence in the robustness of our strategies.”

The company expects cement demand to strengthen in the December quarter, supported by government infrastructure spending and rural housing demand. Growth is anticipated mainly from northern and western India, while southern and eastern regions are expected to face continued supply pressures.

Concrete

Ambuja Cements Delivers Strong Q2 FY26 Performance Driven by R&D and Efficiency

Company raises FY28 capacity target to 155 MTPA with focus on cost optimisation and AI integration

Published

5 days ago

November 10, 2025

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Ambuja Cements, part of the diversified Adani Portfolio and the world’s ninth-largest building materials solutions company, has reported a robust performance for Q2 FY26. The company’s strong results were driven by market share gains, R&D-led premium cement products, and continued efficiency improvements.

Vinod Bahety, Whole-Time Director and CEO, Ambuja Cements, said, “This quarter has been noteworthy for the cement industry. Despite headwinds from prolonged monsoons, the sector stands to benefit from several favourable developments, including GST 2.0 reforms, the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), and the withdrawal of coal cess. Our capacity expansion is well timed to capitalise on this positive momentum.”

Ambuja has increased its FY28 capacity target by 15 MTPA — from 140 MTPA to 155 MTPA — through debottlenecking initiatives that will come at a lower capital expenditure of USD 48 per metric tonne. The company also plans to enhance utilisation of its existing 107 MTPA capacity by 3 per cent through logistics infrastructure improvements.

To strengthen its product mix, Ambuja will install 13 blenders across its plants over the next 12 months to optimise production and increase the share of premium cement, improving realisations. These operational enhancements have already contributed to a 5 per cent reduction in cost of sales year-on-year, resulting in an EBITDA of Rs 1,060 per metric tonne and a PMT EBITDA of approximately Rs 1,189.

Looking ahead, the company remains optimistic about achieving double-digit revenue growth and maintaining four-digit PMT EBITDA through FY26. Ambuja aims to reduce total cost to Rs 4,000 per metric tonne by the end of FY26 and further by 5 per cent annually to reach Rs 3,650 per metric tonne by FY28.

Bahety added, “Our Cement Intelligent Network Operations Centre (CiNOC) will bring a paradigm shift to our business operations. Artificial Intelligence will run deep within our enterprise, driving efficiency, productivity, and enhanced stakeholder engagement across the value chain.”