Concrete

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

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2024

admin

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

Up Next

Streamlining supply chains will become paramount

Don't Miss

Digitalising the value chain could be a game changer

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

3 days ago

September 21, 2026

admin

Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

3 days ago

September 21, 2026

admin

The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.

Concrete

Cement Firms to Invest Rs. 130 bn in Green Energy by FY28

Cement companies plan to expand clean energy capacity to 6 GW by FY28

Published

7 days ago

September 17, 2026

admin

India’s major cement companies are set to raise their clean energy capacity to 6 GW by March 2028 from around 4 GW at the end of March 2026, according to ratings agency ICRA. The planned expansion is expected to involve investments of Rs. 130 bn over the next two years.

The additional capacity could generate annual savings of Rs. 62 bn to Rs. 67 bn, resulting in an estimated payback period of 1.8 to 2.2 years. Cement is an emission-intensive industry, and leading producers have established net-zero roadmaps covering the next 15 to 20 years.

The calcination process accounts for 57 to 60 per cent of the sector’s total emissions, while fuel combustion contributes 27 to 30 per cent and electricity consumption accounts for 10 to 13 per cent. ICRA said the figures highlighted the need for a broad decarbonisation strategy involving green power, blended cement, alternative fuels and improvements in clinker efficiency.

Green energy is considered one of the most commercially attractive decarbonisation options because it can reduce emissions while lowering operating costs. Every 5 per cent increase in green power replacement can reduce power and fuel costs by Rs. 15 to Rs. 16 per tonne. A 25 per cent replacement level could therefore save Rs. 75 to Rs. 80 per tonne and expand operating margins by 140 to 160 basis points.

Cement producers are also assessing carbon capture, utilisation and storage, although high implementation costs, energy requirements and limited transport and storage infrastructure are expected to slow commercial adoption. The government has proposed Rs. 200 bn over five years to support deployment across key sectors. Meanwhile, companies are targeting thermal substitution rates of 10 to 15 per cent over the next three to five years, compared with the current industry level of around 6 per cent.