Economy & Market

Women in Home Ownership

Published

1 year ago

April 18, 2025

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Vinita Singhania, discusses the importance of home ownership amongst women as a crucial step towards financial independence.

Financial independence is the ticket to a life of personal choice. For women, the idea is more than just income and savings and includes the possession of assets that yield long-term security. Financial inclusion has expanded, with more women taking charge of their investments. Women now represent over 25 per cent of individual investors and hold 33 per cent of the total individual assets under management (AUM). Notably, participation in mutual funds is also growing beyond the top 30 cities, as highlighted in the AMFI Factbook 2024.
Among all the investments, real estate is the most unique. Homeownership is independence, protection against uncertainty, and a foundation for future stability. Throughout the globe, successful women have identified property as a great wealth builder. Oprah Winfrey, the self-made billionaire, has continued to make property investments, which is a testament to having an appreciation of long-term worth. In India, professionals and businesswomen are defying conventional stereotypes by actively making property investments, thereby changing the narrative from reliance to economic independence.

Rise in women’s involvement in real estate investment
For decades, homeownership was considered a male-dominated domain. That is changing dramatically now. Women across all income groups are entering the real estate purchase business, looking at this activity not as a secondary option but as a main means of achieving financial independence. Industry data in recent years indicate that over 30 per cent of property buyers in urban India are women—a figure doubled in the last decade.
Policy incentives, such as lower stamp duties for women buyers and tax relief on home loans, are helping drive this trend. Section 80C of the Income Tax Act allows first-time female homeowners to claim a deduction of up to `1.5 lakh on the principal repayment of their home loan. Additionally, under Section 24(b), women can deduct up to `2 lakh on the interest paid for a home loan, provided they own the property entirely.
Above all, it is a shift in attitude—women are actively making their own financial security instead of waiting passively for it to happen.

Importance of home ownership to women
Home ownership is a financial foundation that no other investment can offer. In contrast to rental property, whose value fluctuates based on market trends, a home is a steady asset that gains value over the years. It accumulates wealth from generation to generation and provides a haven in times of need. Furthermore, women who are homeowners can avail themselves of more financial opportunities either by using the property as collateral for business expansion or by accessing education loans.
Apart from economic advantages, home ownership is a step towards autonomy. It guarantees that women have a place where decisions are theirs alone, without interference or social control. In a world where women’s economic independence is still questionable, homeownership is a revolution. Real estate investment strongly supports a woman’s social standing. Some banks provide women homebuyers with loans covering up to 90 per cent of the property’s value, compared to 80 per cent for men. Others offer extended repayment tenures of up to 30 years, easing the financial burden and making homeownership more manageable.

Challenges that still persist
Despite progress, several challenges persist. Financial literacy gaps remain a major issue. Many women are not introduced to financial planning early in life, which results in hesitation when making large investments like home purchases. Income inequality is also an issue. With the pay gap between men and women, still an issue in most industries, women will tend to be granted smaller loans than men, which reduces their purchasing power.
Social and cultural biases are also barriers. Economic choices in the majority of households are still within the purview of male household members, whereas independent investment choices by women are disapproved.
Moreover, legal and administrative complexities such as property title verification and mortgage approval processes can make it so difficult for first-time buyers.

Overcoming obstacles: Road to property ownership
Empowerment starts with awareness. Women need to give top priority to financial literacy, investment education, loan terms, and property laws. Banks and organisations now provide courses and online resources to make home buying easier. Accessing the policy incentives is a crucial step. The different states offer a lower rate of stamp duty to women buyers, and the banks provide differential rates of interest on housing loans. These incentives may significantly lower the cost of property ownership.
Maintaining and building a strong credit profile is of the utmost significance. Timely payment of loans, proper use of credit, and paying off current debts improve one’s loan-worthiness and better interest rates. There needs to be meticulous research. Women must research a variety of financing opportunities, compare homes diligently, and consult an attorney to discuss ownership papers prior to buying.
Consulting professional guidance from property and finance specialists can increase knowledge, thus making informed decisions in accordance with long-term financial goals. An informed strategy allows for an easier and more satisfying path to homeownership.

Conclusion
Women in India and across the world are redefining financial independence through real estate investment. Purchasing a property is a symbol of independence, planning and determination. While challenges remain, proactive steps, supportive policies and a determined mindset can help more women claim their rightful place in the real estate landscape. A home is an investment in empowerment, security and a future shaped by one’s own choices.

About the author:
Vinita Singhania, Chairperson and Managing Director, JK Lakshmi Cement Limited, is a businesswoman, and an industrialist, with diversified and rich business experience.

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Economy & Market

TSR Will Define Which Cement Companies Win India’s Net-Zero Race

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2026

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Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax Technology

India is simultaneously grappling with two crises: a mounting waste emergency and an urgent need to decarbonise its most carbon-intensive industries. The cement sector, the second-largest in the world and the backbone of the nation’s infrastructure ambitions, sits at the centre of both. It consumes enormous quantities of fossil fuel, and it has the technical capacity to consume something else entirely: the waste our cities cannot get rid of.

According to CPCB and NITI Aayog projections, India generates approximately 62.4 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with that figure expected to reach 165 million tonnes by 2030. Much of this waste is energy-rich and non-recyclable. At the same time, cement kilns operate at material temperatures of approximately 1,450 degrees Celsius, with gas temperatures reaching 2,000 degrees. This high-temperature environment is ideal for co-processing, ensuring the complete thermal destruction of organic compounds without generating toxic residues. The physics are in our favour. The infrastructure is not.

Pre-processing is not the support act for co-processing. It is the main event. Get the particle size wrong, get the moisture wrong, get the calorific value wrong and your kiln thermal stability will suffer the consequences.

The Regulatory Push Is Real

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2026 mandate that cement plants progressively replace solid fossil fuels with Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF), starting at a 5 per cent baseline and scaling to 15 per cent within six years. NITI Aayog’s 2026 Roadmap for Cement Sector Decarbonisation targets 20 to 25 per cent Thermal Substitution Rate (TSR) by 2030. Beyond compliance, every tonne of coal replaced by RDF generates measurable carbon reductions which is monetisable under India’s emerging Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS). TSR is no longer a sustainability metric. It is a financial lever.

Yet our own field assessments across multiple Indian cement plants reveal a sobering reality: the primary barrier to scaling AFR adoption is not waste availability. It is the fragmented and under-engineered pre-processing ecosystem that sits between the waste and the kiln.

Why Indian Waste Is a Different Engineering Problem

Indian municipal solid waste is not the material that imported shredding equipment was designed for. Our waste streams frequently exceed 40 per cent to 50 per cent moisture content, particularly during monsoon cycles, saturated with abrasive inerts including sand, glass, and stone. Plants relying on imported OEM equipment face months of downtime awaiting proprietary spare parts. Machines built for segregated, low-moisture waste fail quickly and disrupt the entire pre-processing operation in Indian conditions.

The two most common failures we observe are what I call the biting teeth problem and the chewing teeth problem. Plants relying solely on a primary shredder reduce bulk waste to large fractions, but the output remains too coarse for stable kiln combustion. Others attempt to use a secondary shredder as a standalone unit without a primary stage to pre-size the feed, leading to catastrophic mechanical failure. When both stages are present but mismatched in throughput capacity, the system becomes a bottleneck. Achieving the 40 to 70 tonnes per hour required for meaningful coal displacement demands a precisely coordinated two-stage process.

Engineering a Made-in-India Answer

At Fornnax, our response to these challenges is grounded in one principle: Indian waste demands Indian engineering. Our systems are built around feedstock homogeneity, the holy grail of kiln stability. Consistent particle size and predictable calorific value are the foundation of stable kiln combustion. Without them, no TSR target is achievable at scale.

Our SR-MAX2500 Dual Shaft Primary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive) processes raw, baled, or loosely mixed MSW, C&I waste, bulky waste, and plastics, reducing them to approximately 150 mm fractions at throughputs of up to 40 tonnes per hour. The R-MAX 3300 Single Shaft Secondary Shredder (Hydraulic Drive), introduced in 2025, takes that primary output and produces RDF fractions in the 30 to 80 mm range at up to 30 tonnes per hour, specifically optimised for consistent kiln feeding. We have also introduced electric drive configurations under the SR-100 HD series, with capacities between 5 and 40 tonnes per hour, already operational at a leading Indian waste-processing facility.

Looking ahead, Fornnax is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming SR-MAX3600 Hydraulic Drive primary shredder at up to 70 tonnes per hour and the R-MAX2100 Hydraulic drive secondary shredder at up to 20 tonnes per hour, designed specifically for the large-scale throughput that higher TSR ambitions require.

The Investment Case Is Now

The 2070 Net-Zero target is not a distant goal for India’s cement sector. It starts today, with decisions being made on the plant floor.

The SWM Rules 2026 are already in effect, requiring cement plants to replace coal with RDF. Carbon credit markets are opening up, and coal prices are not going to get cheaper. Every tonne of coal a cement plant replaces with waste-derived fuel saves money on one side and generates carbon credit revenue on the other. Pre-processing infrastructure is no longer just a compliance requirement. It is a business investment with a measurable return.

The good news is that nothing is missing. The technology works. The waste is available in every Indian city. The government has provided the policy direction. The only thing standing between where the industry is today and where it needs to be is the commitment to build the right infrastructure.

The cement companies that move now will not just meet the regulations. They will be ahead of every competitor that waits.

About The Author

Jignesh Kundaria is the Director and CEO of Fornnax Technology. Over an experience spanning more than two decades in the recycling industry, he has established himself as one of India’s foremost voices on waste-to-fuel technology and alternative fuel infrastructure.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

2 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

2 weeks ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.