Concrete

UltraTech Cement Ventures into Wires and Cables with Rs 18 Bn Plan

The New Gujarat Plant Marks Expansion in Construction Value Chain.

Published

2 years ago

February 28, 2025

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UltraTech Cement has announced its foray into the wires and cables segment, further expanding its footprint in the construction value chain. The Aditya Birla Group company will invest Rs 18 billion in setting up a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility near Bharuch, Gujarat, which is expected to commence operations by December 2026. An initial investment of Rs 1 billion has already been made towards the project.

The UltraTech board of directors approved the strategic expansion, reaffirming the company’s commitment to strengthening its position as a comprehensive building solutions provider. This move follows last year’s entry into the decorative paints sector with the launch of Birla Opus, signalling the company’s diversification beyond its core cement business.

Strategic Market Entry and Growth Potential
UltraTech Cement aims to tap into the growing demand for wires and cables across residential, commercial, infrastructure, and industrial sectors. The wires and cables industry in India has witnessed a robust revenue growth of approximately 13% between FY2019 and FY2024, driven by rising urbanisation, infrastructure development, and increasing adoption of branded products over unorganised players.

UltraTech believes its entry into this high-growth sector will be value accretive for its shareholders, presenting a compelling opportunity to establish a credible, large-scale presence in the organised market.

Core Cement Business Remains a Priority
Despite this diversification, UltraTech Cement remains firmly committed to its core cement business. The company recently achieved a milestone cement production capacity of over 175 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in India. It continues to strengthen its leadership position through strategic acquisitions and capacity expansions, especially amid intense competition from Ambuja Cements, owned by the Adani Group.

Industry Outlook: A Diversified Future for Construction Materials
The construction materials industry in India is witnessing rapid evolution, with companies increasingly diversifying their portfolios to cater to a growing and dynamic market. With infrastructure development and urbanisation on the rise, demand for complementary building materials such as wires, cables, and paints is expected to surge. UltraTech’s strategic expansion aligns with this trend, positioning it to capitalise on emerging opportunities while reinforcing its leadership in cement manufacturing.

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Concrete

India’s Core Sector Growth Eases to 4.8 Per Cent in August

Cement, electricity and iron ore offset declines in other sectors

Published

50 minutes ago

September 26, 2026

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India’s output across eight core industries grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, easing from the revised 5.0 per cent growth recorded in July, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks eight key infrastructure sectors, accounts for a significant share of the Index of Industrial Production.

Cement production led the expansion with growth of 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent and iron ore at 5.5 per cent. Steel output increased 3.4 per cent, while refinery products rose 2.6 per cent during the month. The ministry identified cement, electricity and iron ore as the main contributors to overall core sector growth in recent months.

The gains were partly offset by contractions in several sectors. Coal output declined 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while natural gas and crude oil production fell 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively. Fertiliser production recorded the sharpest decline, falling 12.4 per cent in August.

Cumulative growth in the ICI during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Steel output increased 4.1 per cent during the period, while cement and electricity production grew 10.3 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers recorded negative cumulative growth during April-August. Their contractions stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, 4.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively. The ministry also revised the final ICI for July to 120.8 from the earlier provisional estimate of 121.2, resulting in a downward revision in the month’s growth rate to 5.0 per cent from 5.4 per cent.

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

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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

5 days ago

September 21, 2026

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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.