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We are actively working on sludge utilisation

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Dr Yogendra Kanitkar, VP – Research and Development, Pi Green Innovations, discusses groundbreaking, scalable clean-tech solutions.

As the world races to combat climate change, a simple observation sparked a powerful vision for a pollution-free tomorrow. Dr Yogendra Kanitkar, VP – Research and Development, Pi Green Innovations, talks to Kanika Mathur about how filter-less technology is changing the game – from capturing soot to permanently sequestering CO2 in building materials. Read on to explore how this startup is turning industrial waste into climate solutions.

Can you briefly introduce Pi Green Innovations and its mission for a pollution-free tomorrow?
Pi Green Innovations is a clean tech startup. Our founders are Irfan Pathan, Shantanu Sonaikar, and Rizwan Shaikh. We started with a vision of a pollution-free tomorrow. Our founder, Rizwan Shaikh, observed the dust accumulation on AC filters and realised Delhi’s air pollution was a massive issue. Inspired to create a solution, he began searching for a filterless technology to clean air. That’s how the initial Carbon Cutter machine was conceptualised. The first application was for diesel generators. In 2012–2013, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered diesel generator operators to install Retrofit Emission Control Devices (RECDs) to capture more than 70 per cent of particulate matter. This initially rolled out in Delhi NCR and later became mandatory nationwide.
We invented a filterless technology using electrostatic precipitation (ESP) to capture soot from diesel generators without interfacing with the engine. The soot is collected in a separate tank or vessel that can be cleaned later. This innovation gained traction, and major diesel generator OEMs became our channel partners, certifying and fitting our devices to their generators.
Later, some customers asked if we could also capture gaseous emissions like SOx and NOx. While exploring this, we accidentally discovered that our technology had a greater affinity for capturing CO2. This led to the birth of the Net Zero Machine — a point-source greenhouse gas capture device that converts CO2 into carbonates using accelerated mineral carbonation technology.
To our knowledge, we are the only company in India to operate this technology at such a large scale. While typical lab-scale pilots capture around 1 tonne of CO2 per day, our largest pilot with an Institutional Thermal Power Plant Operator which will be commissioned soon. It will two tonnes of CO2 per day, operational for 21 consecutive days.
Our focus is not just on carbon capture but on carbon utilisation — turning captured CO2 into building materials like bricks, aggregates and road fill. This provides a scalable solution to address industrial emissions while creating valuable byproducts.

How does your Net Zero Machine contribute to carbon capture and green cement production?
To understand our contribution, you first need to understand how cement is produced. Cement production typically involves calcining dolomite to form clinker — the main binding agent in cement. Our ethos is to use industrial waste to capture CO2. We have developed 10 different chemistries with the Net Zero Machine tailored for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, steel, petrochemicals, FMCG and others. For instance, if we are operating at a thermal power plant, we use the fly ash generated there along with other chemicals. When the flue gas passes through the Net Zero Machine, it reacts to form a sludge that self-hardens upon curing. This sludge can be moulded into bricks, road fill, coarse aggregates and other building materials. Importantly, the CO2 captured is permanently sequestered within the solid material — it will not release back unless heated to above 600°C. Unlike other technologies, like amine-based or retisol systems that produce pure CO2 gas, our process embeds CO2 into solid building materials, ensuring long-term storage.
In the cement industry context, let’s say we are working with a steel manufacturer. Normally, blast furnace slag is sold as a cement additive. In our case, we carbonate the industrial waste like slag — through the Net Zero Machine. The carbonation adds CO2 mass into the material, which can then be used as a substitute for clinker or other additives in cement production. For example, if you start with one tonne of blast furnace slag and add 500 kg of CO2 during carbonation, you end up with 1.5 tonnes of carbonated slag. Chemically, the properties remain largely similar.
Thus, instead of disturbing the existing symbiosis between industries like steel and cement, we add value by enhancing the material mass and permanently sequestering carbon — directly contributing to the decarbonisation of the cement industry.

What makes your carbon-negative bricks unique compared to conventional building materials?
They are different in two major aspects. First, if you look at how traditional bricks are made, you take sand, add a binder and then bake the bricks at high temperatures. Each of these steps requires a certain amount of energy, and the biggest energy input is during the baking process, where fossil fuels are burned, emitting CO2.
Now, when you use our bricks, because they are made from industrial waste, there is no CO2 output associated with the raw material itself. You are avoiding emissions by substituting traditional bricks with our product. This is known as an ‘avoidance credit’ or avoided CO2 — you are preventing a certain amount of CO2 emissions by choosing a product with a lower carbon footprint.
The second aspect is the way we manufacture our bricks. We do not bake them. Instead, the bricks are sun-dried and carbonated. The industrial waste, like blast furnace slag or fly ash, is carbonated and self-hardens to form the brick. This means the brick already has captured and sequestered CO2 stored within it.
So, in our product, you have two forms of CO2 benefits: one is captured CO2, and the other is avoided CO2. When you combine these two, that becomes our unique selling proposition compared to normal bricks. That’s why we call them carbon-negative bricks.

How scalable is your Net Zero solution for industries like cement manufacturing?
For the cement industry, scalability is built into the core of our Net Zero solution. Our machine is entirely modular. What we usually propose to clients is: install one unit first, see how it works and then scale up. We have the flexibility to install up to a hundred units in a facility. It is very scalable and modular — you can easily grow based on requirements.
Now, the scaling isn’t purely linear or exponential, but it definitely scales, and there’s a cost curve based on techno-economic analysis where we help clients determine the optimum amount of CO2 they want to capture.

In your view, how critical is CCUS technology for India’s decarbonisation journey, especially in heavy industries?
It is highly critical. If you are exporting to carbon-sensitive markets, you are likely to be hit with a carbon tariff. The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is one such example. Even within India, the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS) has been notified, and around 283 entities have been obligated to reduce their CO2 footprints. So, Indian industries should wake up to this reality. If you want to remain competitive in foreign markets, adopting CCUS is non-negotiable.
Specifically for cement manufacturers — and speaking frankly — the margins are razor-thin. Steel manufacturers might still afford a capture cost of $50 per tonne of CO2, but for cement companies that’s much harder. That’s where we come in. Our cost of CO2 capture is significantly lower than conventional market solutions. We can achieve capture costs of less than $25 to $30 per tonne. That’s a game-changer.

What future innovations is Pi Green working on to further advance sustainable construction practices?
There are two broad approaches we are pursuing under Project Net Zero. First, under carbon capture utilisation, we are working on using the sludge generated from industrial waste in very innovative ways to sequester CO2 and form different products out of it. That’s an active vertical.
The second vertical involves evaluating whether our technology can be coupled with Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants. In CBG plants, a major impurity in the biogas is CO2. If we remove that CO2, we can increase the purity of the fuel, turning it into high-quality PNG or CNG. This purified fuel can then be used in internal combustion engines and other applications.
Another interest for us in the near future is to evaluate if NetZero Technology can be coupled with coal gasification to produce blue hydrogen.
Besides that, we are actively working on sludge utilisation — finding multiple pathways to make valuable products from the byproducts of the Net Zero process.
Those are the three major innovations we are actively working on.

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Adani’s Strategic Emergence in India’s Cement Landscape

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2 weeks ago

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September 16, 2025

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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.

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Concrete

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

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1 month ago

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August 16, 2025

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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.

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Concrete

Driving Measurable Gains

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1 month ago

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August 16, 2025

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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.

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