Concrete

Automation, AI and Collaboration

Published

8 months ago

August 5, 2025

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India’s cement sector is stepping into a critical growth phase, bolstered by signs of rural revival and tempered by cautious optimism on infrastructure development. A healthy monsoon this fiscal has set the stage for increased agricultural income, which historically correlates with a surge in rural housing demand — a positive signal for cement manufacturers who’ve already weathered tepid demand in Q1 with the help of strategic price hikes.
Crisil projects a 6.5–7.5 per cent growth in cement demand for FY26, compared to around 5 per cent last year — a promising upswing despite a subdued infrastructure pipeline, owing to lower highway project awards and muted rail capex. To meet this anticipated demand, cement producers are not only focusing on ramping up capacity but also fast-tracking investments in automation and AI.
Automation in cement manufacturing is no longer confined to conveyor belts and kiln optimisation. Today’s smart plants integrate end-to-end control — from raw material processing to final packaging — ensuring consistent output, reduced downtime and higher productivity. And now, artificial intelligence is poised to take this transformation further. Predictive maintenance, AI-driven quality checks and process simulations will define the next-generation cement plant, enabling manufacturers to remain competitive even as input costs fluctuate and sustainability pressures mount.
As the ‘Cover Story’ of this ICR issue explores, the cement industry is not just advancing with automation and technology — it’s laying the foundation for a smarter, greener and more resilient India.
But even the smartest systems can fall short without one essential ingredient: collaboration. Cement manufacturers, automation providers, and system integrators must work in lockstep to translate technology investments into operational excellence. The upcoming 15th CEMENT Expo 2025, scheduled for November 12–13 at the Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, Delhi, aims to serve as the crucible for such collaboration. With decarbonisation high on the industry’s agenda, this platform will bring together policymakers, technocrats, engineers, and business leaders to chart a unified, future-forward path.
You can also nominate your company for the Indian Cement Review Awards 2025 through an online nomination form.
To nominate, exhibit, or learn more about CEMENT Expo, simply scan the QR code below.

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Concrete

Ultra Concrete Age

Prof. A. S. Khanna (Retd., IIT Bombay) on how Ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) improves strength, durability and lifecycle performance.

Published

1 week ago

April 1, 2026

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The need of present time is stronger buildings, industrial or common utility buildings, such as Malls, Railway stations, hospitals, offices, bridges etc. For this, there is need of long durable, tough and stable concrete, which could stand under normal and seismic conditions. Tough railway bridges are required for bullet trains to pass without any damage. Railway tunnels, sea-links, coastal roads, bridges and multistorey buildings, are the need of the hour. The question comes, is the normal cement called OPC is sufficient to take care of such requirements or better combination of cements and sand mixtures is required?

Introduction

A good stable building structure can be made with a good quality of cement+sand+water system. Its quality can be enhanced by keeping the density of admixture higher (varies from 30 in normal buildings to bridges etc to 80). Further enhancement in the properties of various cements admixtures is made by adding several additives which give additional strength, waterproofing, flexibility etc. These are called construction chemicals…

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Concrete

NCB Signs MoU With Cement Manufacturer To Boost Construction Skills

Partnership to deliver nationwide training and certification

Published

1 week ago

March 31, 2026

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The National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB) has signed a memorandum of understanding with a leading cement manufacturer to strengthen skill development and capacity building in the construction sector. The agreement was formalised at NCB premises in Ballabgarh and was signed by the Director General of NCB, Dr L. P. Singh, and the head of technical services at UltraTech Cement Limited, Er Rahul Goel. The collaboration seeks to bring institutional resources and industry expertise into a structured national training effort.

The partnership will deliver structured training and certification programmes across the country aimed at enhancing the capabilities of civil engineers, ready?mix concrete (RMC) professionals, contractors, construction workers and masons. Programme curricula will cover material quality testing, concrete mix proportioning, durability assessment and sustainable construction practices to support improved construction outcomes. Emphasis is to be placed on standardised assessment and certification to raise practice levels across diverse construction roles.

Practical learning elements will include workshops, site demonstrations, technical seminars and exposure visits to plants and RMC facilities to strengthen applied skills and on?site decision making. The Director General indicated confidence that a large number of professionals and workers would be trained over the next three to five years under the initiative. The partnership is designed to complement flagship government schemes such as the Skill India Mission and to align training outputs with national infrastructure priorities.

By combining the council’s technical mandate with industry experience, the initiative aims to develop a more skilled and quality?conscious workforce capable of meeting rising demand in infrastructure and housing. NCB will continue to coordinate programme delivery and quality assurance while industry partners provide practical exposure and technical inputs. The collaboration is expected to support long?term capacity building and more sustainable construction practices nationwide.

Concrete

JSW Cement Commissions Nagaur Plant, Enters North India

New Rajasthan unit boosts capacity to 24.1 MTPA and expands reach

Published

1 week ago

March 30, 2026

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JSW Cement has strengthened its national presence by commencing production at its greenfield integrated cement plant in Nagaur, Rajasthan, marking its entry into the north Indian market.

With this commissioning, the company’s installed grinding capacity has increased to 24.1 MTPA, while total clinker capacity, including its joint venture operations, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

The Nagaur facility comprises a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and a 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit, with an additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity currently under development. Strategically located, the plant is positioned to serve high-growth markets across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR.

The project has been funded through a mix of equity and long-term debt, with Rs 800 crore allocated from IPO proceeds towards part-financing the unit.

Parth Jindal, Managing Director, JSW Cement, stated that the commissioning marks a key milestone in the company’s ambition to become a pan-India player. He added that the project was completed within 21 months and positions the company to achieve its targeted capacity of 41.85 MTPA by FY29.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, highlighted that the expansion aligns with the company’s strategy to tap into rapidly growing northern markets driven by infrastructure development. He noted that the company remains focused on delivering high-quality, eco-friendly cement solutions while progressing towards its long-term capacity goal of 60 MTPA.

The Nagaur plant has been designed with sustainability features, including co-processing of alternative fuels and a 7 km overland belt conveyor for limestone transport to reduce road emissions. The facility will also incorporate a 16 MW Waste Heat Recovery System to improve energy efficiency and lower its carbon footprint.

JSW Cement, part of the JSW Group, operates across the building materials value chain and currently has eight plants across India, along with a clinker unit in the UAE through its joint venture.