Concrete
Clinker factors will be pushed downwards
Published
1 year agoon
By
Roshna
Anant Pokharna, CEO, Unisol Inc, reveals the cutting-edge innovations in grinding aids that are revolutionising cement production.
Unisol’s mission emphasises innovation and R&D. Can you share recent advancements or innovations in grinding aids that Unisol has developed?
Depleting limestone deposits in India (and globally) are forcing cement producers to use marginal grade limestones, in turn, depending on ‘sweeteners’ or high-grade limestones for achieving the right quality.
Unisol has developed a range of chemical additives (formulations), which when added at the cement grinding mill inlet in dosages ranging from 0.05 per cent to 0.15 per cent, help cement producers significantly reduce / eliminate their sweetener consumption. Reduced sweetener consumption translates into reduced cost of cement manufacturing, enhanced life of limestone deposits, lower carbon footprint in cement manufacturing, and enhanced efficiency in general.
These chemical additives work on the principle of delivering significantly improved compressive strengths of cement mortars, in turn allowing for reduced need of sweeteners in raw mix.
How do Unisol’s grinding aids specifically help in reducing the energy required for particle size reduction in grinding mills?
Our grinding aids reduce agglomeration in cement mills by enhancing electrostatic repulsion and reducing Van der Waals forces between the broken particles in cement mills. The resultant deagglomeration leads to reduction in energy requirement for achieving desired surface area of final cement. Thus, the same power consumption allows for higher mill output by anywhere between 5 per cent to 15 per cent over the baseline levels. This also leads to a reduction in specific power consumption by 2-3 KWh/tonne of cement.
Explain the impact of Unisol’s products on the overall grindability and flow of cement.
There is a significant free charge that gets built up on the clinker surface inside the cement mills as the particle size continues to go down. The particles reduce their free charge by agglomerating together, in turn increasing the energy requirements for achieving desired surface area of the final cement. Our grinding aids work on the principle of enhancing electrostatic repulsion and reducing Van der Waals forces as explained in the above query too. This leads to reduction in energy considerations and significantly increased grindability inside the cement mill.
Not all grinding aids have a significant impact on powder fluidity of the resultant cement. We design certain formulations, which enhance the cement fluidity substantially, when the customer specifically asks for this property.
What are the primary benefits of using your grinding aids in terms of mill productivity and the quality of the final product?
a. Increased mill throughput by 5-15 per cent
b. Reduced specific power consumption in cement grinding mills by 2-3 KWh/tonne.
c. Enhanced compressive strength at early ages (1D and 3D) by up to 4 mpa and/or later ages (7D and 28D) by up to 10 mpa.
d. Reduced clinker factor by up to 10 per cent while maintaining the same cement quality, leading to significant reduction in cost and carbon footprint of cement production. Clinker is typically replaced with supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) such as fly ash, slag and pond ash, which are lower cost and have a significantly lower carbon footprint.
e. Modified setting times based on the
plant’s requirement.
f. Reduced water demand in resultant concrete and improved slump retention.
Unisol’s value propositions include increasing mill throughput and reducing power consumption. Can you elaborate on how your products achieve these outcomes?
When the primary objective is to reduce specific power consumption or to increase throughput of cement grinding mills, we look to deliver products whose mode of impact is two-pronged.
First, these products look to reduce or break down Van der Waals forces and enhance electrostatic repulsion between broken particles in the cement mills. This leads to deagglomeration, which allows for higher mill throughput with same specific power or lower specific power consumption per ton of cement.
Second, these grinding aids get adsorbed to the cement particles and reduce the surface charges on the broken particles in the mill. This again leads to lower agglomeration and hence, reduced specific power consumption.
How do your quality improvers and strength enhancers contribute to increasing compressive strength and reducing the clinker factor in cement?
Our strength enhancing grinding aids get adsorbed to the surface of cement particles. They have a beneficial impact on the rheology of the resultant mortar or concrete, leading to accelerated hydration of certain phases of cement, such as C3S and/or C3A. Cement producers witness accelerated strength growth by 2-10 mpa across all ages, improved setting times and other relevant properties when they add our strength enhancing grinding aids to cement
mill inlet.
Most cement producers tend to reduce their clinker factor in cement by ~4-5 per cent, and increase corresponding quantities of SCM such as fly ash and slag, while maintaining their cement quality by deploying our strength enhancing grinding aids. We have been able to help cement producers reduce their clinker content by up to 10 per cent in certain cases.
Can you provide examples or case studies where Unisol’s grinding aids have significantly improved cement plant performance, particularly in terms of energy efficiency and product quality?
A large cement producer was looking to deploy a grinding aid for the purpose of both increased mill output and improved cement quality, at one of its cement plants in Southern India. More specifically, this client wanted to offset the treatment cost of grinding aid completely by reduction in specific power consumption; thereby making the grinding aid cost-neutral. The add-on improvement in cement quality due to accelerated cement hydration, therefore, would effectively be achieved without any cost to the plant.
Unisol delivered a grinding aid to the plant in concentrated form and leveraged on-site blending, with water sourced locally at the plant, to ensure that the treatment cost was kept at the lowest possible. Plant witnessed a reduction in specific power consumption by around 2.5 KWh/tonne of cement, which was sufficient to offset the entire treatment cost of the grinding aid as the power cost was relatively high for that specific plant.
In addition, usage of our grinding aid increased the cement strength by 2-3 MPa across all ages of cement. In effect, the plant was able to deliver improved cement quality to its customers without any net increase in its variable cost of production.
Looking ahead, what trends or advancements do you foresee in the field of grinding aids, and how is Unisol positioning itself to lead in this area?
We foresee the following three trends developing in the domain of grinding aids and performance enhancers used by cement manufacturers.
Firstly, with the depleting limestone deposits and the general pressure on the cement industry to reduce its carbon footprint, there would be an enhanced demand for deployment of high impact quality improvers to drive and promote marginal grade limestones in cement production. Plants will look to reduce and eliminate their sweetener consumption by leveraging cutting-edge chemical additives.
Secondly, all stakeholders in the cement manufacturing ecosystem including cement producers, regulatory bodies, suppliers, and consumers will have to come together to promote cements with much lower clinker factor. Clinker factors will pushed downwards globally and grinding aids and relevant chemical additives will play a significant role in this evolving landscape. New-age quality improvers will replace conventional grinding aids in helping cement producers achieve the desired cement performance with much lower clinker factor.
Thirdly, grinding aid suppliers will have to improve their offerings, deliver high impact products, and still ensure cost effectiveness of their products. More customisations and innovations such as on-site blending will become the norm in the grinding aid industry going forward.
At Unisol, we have been pioneering the concepts such as bespoke formulations and on-site blending over the last few years. These concepts allow us to deliver some of the highest impact chemical formulations to our customers, while ensuring lean, flexible and eco-friendly delivery models. Further, we have been strengthening our research capabilities by bringing more PhDs in the team and keeping our focus razor sharp on developing advanced formulations for emerging needs of the industry.
– Kanika Mathur
Concrete
Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape
Published
6 days agoon
September 16, 2025By
admin
Milind Khangan, Marketing Head, Vertex Market Research, sheds light on Adani’s rapid cement consolidation under its ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy while positioning it to rival UltraTech, and thus, shaping a potential duopoly in India’s booming cement market.
India is the second-largest cement-producing country in the world, following China. This expansion is being driven by tremendous public investment in the housing and infrastructure sectors. The industry is accelerating, with a boost from schemes such as PM Gati Shakti, Bharatmala, and the Vande Bharat corridors. An upsurge in affordable housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) further supports this expansion. In May 2025, local cement production increased about 9 per cent from last year to about 40 million metric tonnes for the month. The combined cement capacity in India was recorded at 670 million metric tonnes in the 2025 fiscal year, according to the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA). For the financial year 2026, this is set to grow by another 9 per cent.
In spite of the growing demand, the Indian cement industry is highly competitive. UltraTech Cement (Aditya Birla Group) is still the market leader with domestic installed capacity of more than 186 MTPA as on 2025. It is targeted to achieve 200 MTPA. Adani Cement recently became a major player and is now India’s second-largest cement company. It did this through aggressive consolidation, operational synergies, and scale efficiencies. Indian players in the cement industry are increasingly valuing operational efficiency and sustainability. Some of the strategies with high impact are alternative fuels and materials (AFR) adoption, green cement expansion, and digital technology investments to offset changing regulatory pressure and increasing energy prices.
Building Adani Cement brand
Vertex Market Research explains that the Adani Group is executing a comprehensive reorganisation and consolidation of its cement business under the ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy. The plan is to integrate its diversified holdings into one consolidated corporate entity named Adani Cement. The focus is on operating integration, governance streamlining, and cost reduction in its expanding cement business.
Integration roadmap and key milestones:
- September 2022: The consolidation process started with the $6.4 billion buyout of Holcim’s majority stakes in Ambuja Cements and ACC, with Ambuja becoming the focal point of the consolidation.
- December 2023: Bought Sanghi Industries to strengthen the firm’s presence in western India.
- August 2024: Added Penna Cement to the portfolio, improving penetration of the southern market of India.
- April 2025: Further holding addition in Orient Cement to 46.66 per cent by purchasing the same from CK Birla Group, becoming the promoter with control.
- Ambuja Cements amalgamated with Adani Cement: This was sanctioned by the NCLT on 18th July 2025 with effect from April 1, 2024. This amalgamation brings in limestone reserves and fresh assets into Ambuja.
- Subject to Sanghi and Penna merger with Ambuja: Board approvals in December 2024 with the aim to finish between September to December 2025.
- Ambuja-ACC future integration: The latter is being contemplated as the final step towards consolidation.
- Orient Cement: It would serve as a principal manufacturing facility following the merger.
Scale, capacity expansion and market position
In financial year-2025, Adani Cement, including Ambuja, surpassed 100 MTPA. This makes it one of the world’s top ten cement companies. Along with ACC’s operations, it is now firmly placed as India’s second-largest cement company. In FY25, the Adani group’s sales volume per annum clocked 65 million metric tonnes. Adani Group claims that it now supplies close to 30 per cent of the cement consumed in India’s homes and infrastructure as of June 2025.
The organisation is pursuing aggressive brownfield expansion:
- By FY 2026: Reach 118 MTPA
- By FY 2028: Target 140 MTPA
These goals will be driven by commissioning new clinker and grinding units at key sites, with civil and mechanical works underway.
As of 2024, Adani Cement had its market share pegged at around 14 to 15 per cent, with an ambition to scale this up to 20 per cent by FY?2028, emerging as a potent competitor to UltraTech’s 192?MTPA capacity (186 domestic and overseas).
Strategic advantages and competitive benefits
The consolidation simplifies decision-making by reducing legal entities, centralising oversight, and removing redundant functions. This drives compliance efficiency and transparent reporting. Using procurement power for raw materials and energy lowers costs per ton. Integrated logistics with Adani Ports and freight infrastructure has resulted in an estimated 6 per cent savings in logistics. The group aims for additional savings of INR 500 to 550 per tonne by FY 2028 by integrating green energy, using alternative fuel resources, and improving sourcing methods.
Market coverage and brand consistency
Brand integration under one strategy will provide uniform product quality and easier distribution networks. Integration with Orient Cement’s dealer base, 60 per cent of which already distributes Ambuja/ACC products, enhances outreach and responsiveness.
By having captive limestone reserves at Lakhpat (approximately 275 million tonnes) and proposed new manufacturing facilities in Raigad, Maharashtra, Adani Cement derives cost advantage, raw material security, and long-term operational robustness.
Strategic implications and risks
Consolidation at Adani Cement makes it not just a capacity leader but also an operationally agile competitor with the ability to reap digital and sustainability benefits. Its vertically integrated platform enables cost leadership, market responsiveness, and scalability.
Challenges potentially include:
- Integration challenges across systems, corporate cultures, and plant operations
- Regulatory sanctions for pending mergers and new capacity additions
- Environmental clearances in environmentally sensitive areas and debt management with input price volatility
When materialised, this revolution would create a formidable Adani–UltraTech duopoly, redefining Indian cement on the basis of scale, innovation, and sustainability. India’s leading four cement players such as Adani (ACC and Ambuja), Dalmia Cement, Shree Cement, and UltraTech are expected to dominate the cement market.
Conclusion
Adani’s aggressive consolidation under the ‘One Business, One Company’ strategy signals a decisive shift in the Indian cement industry, positioning the group as a formidable challenger to UltraTech and setting the stage for a potential duopoly that could dominate the sector for years to come. By unifying operations, leveraging economies of scale, and securing vertical integration—from raw material reserves to distribution networks—Adani Cement is building both capacity and resilience, with clear advantages in cost efficiency, market reach, and sustainability. While integration complexities, regulatory hurdles, and environmental approvals remain key challenges, the scale and strategic alignment of this consolidation promise to redefine competition, pricing dynamics, and operational benchmarks in one of the world’s fastest-growing cement markets.
About the author:
Milind Khangan is the Marketing Head at Vertex Market Research and comes with over five years of experience in market research, lead generation and team management.
Concrete
Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series
Published
1 month agoon
August 16, 2025By
admin
PowerBuild’s flagship Series M, C, F, and K geared motors deliver robust, efficient, and versatile power transmission solutions for industries worldwide.
Products – M, C, F, K: At the heart of every high-performance industrial system lies the need for robust, reliable, and efficient power transmission. PowerBuild answers this need with its flagship geared motor series: M, C, F, and K. Each series is meticulously engineered to serve specific operational demands while maintaining the universal promise of durability, efficiency, and performance.
Series M – Helical Inline Geared Motors: Compact and powerful, the Series M delivers exceptional drive solutions for a broad range of applications. With power handling up to 160kW and torque capacity reaching 20,000 Nm, it is the trusted solution for industries requiring quiet operation, high efficiency, and space-saving design. Series M is available with multiple mounting and motor options, making it a versatile choice for manufacturers and OEMs globally.
Series C – Right Angled Heli-Worm Geared Motors: Combining the benefits of helical and worm gearing, the Series C is designed for right-angled power transmission. With gear ratios of up to 16,000:1 and torque capacities of up to 10,000 Nm, this series is optimal for applications demanding precision in compact spaces. Industries looking for a smooth, low-noise operation with maximum torque efficiency rely on Series C for dependable performance.
Series F – Parallel Shaft Mounted Geared Motors: Built for endurance in the most demanding environments, Series F is widely adopted in steel plants, hoists, cranes, and heavy-duty conveyors. Offering torque up to 10,000 Nm and high gear ratios up to 20,000:1, this product features an integral torque arm and diverse output configurations to meet industry-specific challenges head-on.
Series K – Right Angle Helical Bevel Geared Motors: For industries seeking high efficiency and torque-heavy performance, Series K is the answer. This right-angled geared motor series delivers torque up to 50,000 Nm, making it a preferred choice in core infrastructure sectors such as cement, power, mining, and material handling. Its flexibility in mounting and broad motor options offer engineers’ freedom in design and reliability in execution.
Together, these four series reflect PowerBuild’s commitment to excellence in mechanical power transmission. From compact inline designs to robust right-angle drives, each geared motor is a result of decades of engineering innovation, customer-focused design, and field-tested reliability. Whether the requirement is speed control, torque multiplication, or space efficiency, Radicon’s Series M, C, F, and K stand as trusted powerhouses for global industries.

Klüber Lubrication India’s Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N upgrades synthetic gear oil for energy efficiency.
Klüber Lubrication India has introduced a strategic upgrade for the tyre manufacturing industry by retrofitting its high-performance synthetic gear oil, Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N, into Barrel Cold Feed Extruder gearboxes. This smart substitution, requiring no hardware changes, delivered energy savings of 4-6 per cent, as validated by an internationally recognised energy audit firm under IPMVP – Option B protocols, aligned with
ISO 50015 standards.
Beyond energy efficiency, the retrofit significantly improved operational parameters:
- Lower thermal stress on equipment
- Extended lubricant drain intervals
- Reduction in CO2 emissions and operational costs
These benefits position Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N as a powerful enabler of sustainability goals in line with India’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) guidelines and global Net Zero commitments.
Verified sustainability, zero compromise
This retrofit case illustrates that meaningful environmental impact doesn’t always require capital-intensive overhauls. Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N demonstrated high performance in demanding operating environments, offering:
- Enhanced component protection
- Extended oil life under high loads
- Stable performance across fluctuating temperatures
By enabling quick wins in efficiency and sustainability without disrupting operations, Klüber reinforces its role as a trusted partner in India’s evolving industrial landscape.
Klüber wins EcoVadis Gold again
Further affirming its global leadership in responsible business practices, Klüber Lubrication has been awarded the EcoVadis Gold certification for the fourth consecutive year in 2025. This recognition places it in the top three per cent
of over 150,000 companies worldwide evaluated for environmental, ethical and sustainable procurement practices.
Klüber’s ongoing investments in R&D and product innovation reflect its commitment to providing data-backed, application-specific lubrication solutions that exceed industry expectations and support long-term sustainability goals.
A trusted industrial ally
Backed by 90+ years of tribology expertise and a global support network, Klüber Lubrication is helping customers transition toward a greener tomorrow. With Klübersynth GEM 4-320 N, tyre manufacturers can take measurable, low-risk steps to boost energy efficiency and regulatory alignment—proving that even the smallest change can spark a significant transformation.

Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series

Driving Measurable Gains

Reshaping the Competitive Landscape

CCU testbeds in Tamil Nadu

Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

Precision in Motion: A Deep Dive into PowerBuild’s Core Gear Series

Driving Measurable Gains

Reshaping the Competitive Landscape
