Concrete

We are developing advanced AI models

Published

8 months ago

August 5, 2025

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Uma Suryam, SVP & Head Manufacturing – Northern Region, Nuvoco Vistas, shares details about how automation is helping the company make a shift towards an efficient and sustainable ecosystem.

As India’s cement sector embraces digital transformation, automation is emerging as the cornerstone of future-ready manufacturing. Uma Suryam, SVP & Head – Manufacturing, Northern Region, Nuvoco Vistas, sheds light on how the company is driving intelligent operations, improving energy efficiency and preparing for a data-led future.

What are the key drivers behind the adoption of automation in cement manufacturing today?
Automation in cement manufacturing is being increasingly adopted to meet rising demand due to rapid urbanisation, which drives large scale infrastructure development. To keep pace, manufacturers are embracing automation and digital technologies to streamline operations, reduce manual intervention and ensure consistent product quality.
At Nuvoco, we are strengthening our automation capabilities by adopting advanced technologies and digital solutions that optimise processes, boost operational efficiency and elevate customer experience. Our approach integrates structured innovation, robust quality management, and a comprehensive digital transformation framework—enabling us to stay agile, competitive, and sustainable in a dynamic marketplace

How is automation improving process efficiency and reducing operational costs?
We are continuously investing in automation and process excellence to enhance efficiency and reduce costs across our operations. The roll-out of plant automation at select sites is setting the stage for an Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled smart factory environment, where real-time data and connected systems help optimise production and decision-making.
We have also introduced Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in our Shared Services Centre to fast-track routine processes such as freight bill settlements, significantly reducing manual effort and processing time. To further strengthen supply chain efficiency, the Master Data Repository Management (MDRM) tool ensures improved inventory accuracy, eliminates duplicate stock, and provides better visibility to reallocate excess materials across locations.
Complementing these initiatives, our Integrated Business Planning (IBP) solution by SAP has transformed demand and supply forecasting, enabling inventory planning aligned with demand cycles and ensuring adherence to our Goto market strategies (GTM).
Together, these digital interventions are streamlining end to end operations—optimising resources, minimising wastage, improving cost competitiveness and ultimately creating greater value for customers.

How does automation support energy optimisation and emissions control?
Automation is a key enabler of building safer, smarter and sustainable energy management systems at Nuvoco. A major milestone in this journey was the commissioning of our Grid Integration Project, which connected three of our geographically isolated cement plants through a common transmission line, creating a unified power network and setting a new benchmark for energy optimisation in the industry.
The project, anchored by a Line-In Line-Out (LILO) substation at our cement plant and supported by an optical fibre network, enables real-time communication and automated energy distribution across the cluster. This has significantly reduced contract demand, eliminated power disruptions, enhanced operational flexibility and delivered substantial savings on fixed energy charges.
By minimising energy wastage and optimising power usage, automation directly contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions, making our operations more environmentally responsible while ensuring safer and more reliable plant performance.

What kind of data infrastructure is needed to enable effective automation?
Effective automation in relies on a strong and secure data infrastructure that enables seamless, real-time connectivity across the plant. Smart sensors and PLCs integrated into key machinery—such as kilns, crushers, and packing units—collect live performance and process data, which is then analysed through a centralised control room or cloud-based platform to enable timely, data-driven decision-making. Equally important are strong cybersecurity protocols that safeguard operational systems and sensitive production data from disruptions or breaches, ensuring plant safety and uninterrupted performance.
We are advancing towards a more data-intelligent manufacturing ecosystem with initiatives such as an AI-enabled dashboard to optimise waste heat recovery systems and kiln operations, enhancing energy efficiency. Additionally, we are developing advanced AI models that identify the most cost-effective fuel combinations by factoring in variables like moisture content, pricing and other operational parameters. These initiatives are laying the foundation for next-generation, data-driven decision-making, driving operational excellence and sustainable performance at scale.
In parallel, recognising the growing cyber threat landscape, we have strengthened our digital security framework by deploying next-generation firewalls, endpoint protection, enhanced network segmentation and implementing multi-factor authentication across all applications—ensuring that our digital infrastructure remains as resilient as our physical operations.

What is your roadmap for scaling automation across the organisation in the next five years?
Over the next five years, the company will focus on automating critical processes especially in production and quality control to drive operational excellence. AI will be integrated to support real-time, data-driven decision-making across functions. Additionally, the organisation is evaluating next-generation digital platforms to simplify and integrate its IT landscape.
As part of this evolving roadmap, there is also a continued emphasis on building a digitally capable workforce to stay aligned with emerging technologies.
These efforts reflect a broader shift towards a connected, future-ready manufacturing ecosystem where people, processes and systems are increasingly integrated to respond with agility to changing business dynamics.

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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?

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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

2 weeks 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.