Concrete

Innovation for Tomorrow

Published

2 years ago

July 16, 2024

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Samidha Pathak, Research and Development Manager, Nuvoco Vistas, discusses the future of cement and building materials.

The building materials sector has been a constant arena for innovation, evolving from the ancient use of stone and wood to the contemporary reliance on steel and concrete. Concrete stands out as the most widely utilised man-made material in the present day. Today, concrete remains a cornerstone in construction. The materials have evolved in coming times and will continue to do so with the rapid pace of innovations. As the industry continues to evolve, embracing new materials and techniques is crucial to meeting the demands of the modern world.
With the increasing stride in urbanisation and infrastructural boom, there will be a continued demand for increase in production of building materials. The industry should continue to emerge with new trends to ease the efforts for the end user and maximise productivity. However, it is the need of the hour that these innovations come with reduced carbon footprint and its reliance on virgin natural resources.
Cement sector is already being driven with many initiatives in operations like enhancing kiln and energy efficiencies, firing with alternate fuels to petcoke, utilising alternate raw materials and industrial wastes for clinkerisation, capturing flue gases which all initiatives are not only innovative but also sustainable.

Real time working
In processing and production, real time monitoring has become possible. Carbon Capture Utilisation and Sequestration (CCUS) is an emerging technology to offset the greenhouse gases emission. The ultra high-performance concrete with a composite of cement and fibres is now replacing reinforcement to a considerable extent. Design freedom with specialised concrete mix enabling digitised automated efficient and faster concrete structures is possible today because of 3D printed concrete.
Electricity conservation is possible with piezoelectric concrete, rainwater can now be harvested with previous concrete Smart glasses are able to control the heat and luminosity by changing their stimuli. Like the human body, which is able to self-heal, today concrete is able to heal its own cracks, too. To save water in curing, self-curing concrete is emerging with additives. Nano materials can improve reactivity at a micro level interface.
Construction chemicals are doing wonders in modifying the rheology, grindability, setting, acceleration and workability of cement, concrete, and mortars. The decarbonisation starts with cement, one of the key binders in the building materials and alkali activated binders and geopolymer concrete are eliminating clinker dependency using supplementary cementing materials.
Innovative building materials are reshaping the construction industry, offering novel solutions to longstanding challenges. A key characteristic of these advancements is circularity, emphasising meticulous design for reuse and recycling. This approach aims to significantly diminish waste and resource consumption, marking a pivotal shift toward more sustainable practices in the construction sector. Durability should be another benchmark for innovative materials ensuring that our cities stand the test of time with reduced maintenance. Futuristic innovation should be driven by maintaining resilience and efficiency, sustainable in the long run. Challenges like technical risks, lower acceptability to change, and increased costing can be a few barriers for scaling market acceptability of these innovative materials.
Innovation should become a value system rather than a selling pitch. The resourcefulness of human ingenuity and our innate search for easing jobs will continue to ignite an innovative spark thus overcoming the critical challenges we are facing today.

About the author
Samidha Pathak is the Research and Development Manager at Nuvoco Vistas Corp. With her expertise in R&D, she oversees the development of innovative products and solutions that meet the company’s strategic objectives. Her role involves leading cross-functional teams, collaborating with stakeholders, and driving projects from concept to execution.

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Concrete

UltraTech to Deploy 600+ Electric Trucks by Dec 2026

Cement major expands green logistics to cut emissions across supply chain

Published

1 day ago

September 3, 2026

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UltraTech Cement Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company, plans to expand its electric vehicle fleet in logistics operations to more than 600 EV trucks by December 2026, strengthening its green transport initiatives.

The company has signed service agreements with leading EV prime mover manufacturers, including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy in Motion and Sany, along with their subsidiaries and logistics partners, for deploying electric trucks.

The expanded fleet will transport around five million MT of clinker and other key materials annually across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Once operational, the fleet is expected to reduce annual CO₂ emissions by over 1,17,000 tonnes and replace nearly 39 million litres of diesel consumption.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said the company is extending sustainability beyond its manufacturing plants by adopting greener logistics solutions and decarbonising its value chain.

UltraTech has been among the early adopters of sustainable transport in the cement sector, introducing CNG trucks in 2021 and electric trucks in 2024. The company currently operates more than 850 trucks under its green logistics programme, including CNG and electric vehicles.

With a grey cement capacity exceeding 200 MTPA in India, UltraTech is integrating electrification across its logistics network, covering mine-to-plant movement and inter-plant transportation of clinker and other materials.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement expands green logistics with 600+ electric truck fleet

Published

1 day ago

September 3, 2026

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The e-truck fleet will be used to transport five million MT of clinker and other key materials with potential of over 1,17,000 tonnes of net annual CO₂ reduction, displacing the equivalent of 39 million litres of diesel per year.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited, an Aditya Birla Group company and the world’s largest cement company by sales volume and capacity outside China, has announced that it will scale up its electric vehicle fleet in its logistics operations to 600+ EV trucks by December 2026.

UltraTech has signed service contracts with leading EV prime mover manufacturers including Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, IPLTech, Energy in Motion and Sany, along with their subsidiaries and other third-party logistics providers, to deploy EV trucks.

The total fleet of 600+ EV trucks will transport about five million MT of clinker and other key materials per annum across Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Odisha. Once fully operational, this fleet of over 600 EV trucks will enable a net annual CO₂ reduction of more than 1,17,000 tonnes, displacing the equivalent of 39 million litres of diesel per year.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “UltraTech is expanding sustainability beyond its plants by adopting greener logistics solutions. This large-scale transition to green logistics underscores our focus on decarbonising every link of our value chain and supports our commitment to achieving Net Zero.”

UltraTech has been a pioneer in advancing sustainable transport in the cement sector, being the first cement company to deploy heavy-duty electric trucks for long-haul transport of clinker and other materials at scale. The company was among the first in India to introduce green logistics, deploying CNG trucks in 2021 and electric trucks in 2024. UltraTech currently operates 850+ trucks as part of its green logistics operations, including CNG and electric trucks.

UltraTech, with a grey cement capacity of over 200 MTPA in India, operates one of the country’s most complex logistics networks. Its electrification strategy covers the entire supply chain—from mine-to-plant movement to inter-plant transport of clinker and other key materials.

The $ 10 billion UltraTech, the cement flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total Grey Cement capacity of 205.5 MTPA and White Cement/Putty capacity of 3.2 MTPA. It is a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the Net Zero Concrete roadmap announced by GCCA.

Concrete

CarbonStrong Raises Rs 125 Million To Scale Low Carbon Cement Tech

To build capacity of 100,000 tonnes a year

Published

1 week ago

August 28, 2026

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CarbonStrong has raised Rs 125 million (125 mn) to scale a low carbon cement technology and build commercial production capacity. The startup was founded in 2022 by Harsh Jain and Vikramaditya Singh and has moved from customer trials to plans for industrial supply. The company said its material replaces up to 50 per cent of cement in concrete while reducing costs and improving durability.

CarbonStrong states the product is around 30 per cent cheaper than cement and compatible with existing concrete plants, reducing the need for new equipment and operational disruption. Trials and paid pilots have been conducted in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai with demonstration projects involving ready-mix firms and precast manufacturers. Compatibility with current workflows forms a central part of the commercial strategy, aiming to ease adoption by builders and contractors.

The funding will support construction of a facility with capacity of up to 100,000 tonnes (100,000 t) a year over the next two years to supply early customers commercially. The firm is also developing materials from steel slag, copper slag and mine tailings to expand its feedstock base, while noting the technical challenge of homogenising different waste streams. Recognition by HCL ClimaForce in 2026 and by the Avaana-Startup India-NITI Aayog AIM Grand Challenge in 2025 has underscored progress.

Industry adoption remains the principal test and will require consistent material performance, supply reliability and competitive economics. CarbonStrong projects the Indian market for cement substitutes could reach Rs 250 billion (250 bn) by 2030 and has set an ambition to produce 10 million tonnes a year by 2035 (10 mn t), a target far above its near term capacity. Moving from pilots to production demands capital, manufacturing discipline and customers willing to specify the material beyond demonstrations. The recent Rs 125 million raise is intended to fund the next phase of scale and to demonstrate that industrial waste can become a dependable input for lower carbon construction.