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Traceability is foundational to circularity

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Uttam Sur, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer, Valency International Pte, discusses cross-border collaboration and innovation essential to scaling sustainable solutions.

As the cement industry accelerates its transition toward low-carbon growth, global commodity trading and cross-border collaboration are emerging as powerful enablers of circular economy practices. Uttam Sur, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer, Valency International Pte, talks about how trading expertise, supply chain traceability, and innovative partnerships are reshaping the sector’s resource loop while aligning with ESG imperatives.

How can global commodity trading expertise support circular economy adoption in cement?
Global commodity trading brings deep market intelligence, logistical efficiency, and access to alternative raw materials. By leveraging trading networks, cement companies can source industrial by-products like fly ash, slag and alternative fuels, which are critical to circular practices. Traders also help navigate regulatory landscapes and ensure consistent quality and supply, enabling cement producers to integrate circular inputs without compromising performance.

What role can supply chain traceability play in enabling circular practices in the sector?
Traceability is foundational to circularity. It ensures that materials—whether recycled, reclaimed or sustainably sourced—meet environmental and social standards. Digital traceability tools allow cement companies to track the origin, lifecycle and carbon footprint of inputs, which supports compliance, transparency and ESG reporting. This also builds trust with stakeholders and enables data-driven decisions for sustainable sourcing.

How can cement companies collaborate with traders to source sustainable raw materials?
Collaboration begins with shared sustainability goals. Cement companies can work with traders to identify low-carbon alternatives, co-develop supplier standards and invest in pre-processing infrastructure. Long-term partnerships can unlock access to circular materials like biomass, construction waste and industrial residues, while also ensuring traceability and quality control across borders.

What lessons from ESG risk mitigation in commodities can be applied to cement operations?
Commodity sectors have advanced ESG risk frameworks that cement companies can adopt—such as supplier audits, grievance mechanisms and third-party certifications. These practices help identify risks related to labour, environment and governance early in the supply chain. Cement operations can benefit by embedding these controls into procurement, logistics and community engagement strategies.

How important is cross-border collaboration for scaling circular economy solutions in cement?
Extremely important. Circular inputs often originate from diverse geographies—industrial
by-products, waste-derived fuels and recycled aggregates are not always locally available. Cross-border collaboration enables access to thes ematerials, harmonises standards and fosters innovation. It also supports policy alignment and investment in shared infrastructure, which is vital for scaling circular solutions.

What are the biggest challenges in aligning cement’s circular initiatives with global ESG standards?
Key challenges include fragmented regulations, inconsistent data and limited supplier capacity. Many circular materials lack standardised ESG metrics, making it difficult to assess their impact. Additionally, aligning local practices with global frameworks like GRI, SASB or TCFD requires capacity building and digital transformation across the value chain.

How can stakeholder engagement across 20+ countries drive innovation in cement circularity?
Engaging stakeholders globally brings diverse perspectives, technologies and policy insights. It enables co-creation of solutions tailored to local contexts—whether it’s waste valorisation in Africa, carbon capture in Europe, or green logistics in Asia. Multi-country engagement also fosters knowledge exchange, accelerates pilot projects and builds resilient supply chains for circular materials.

Which emerging materials or technologies could reshape the resource loop in cement production?
Several innovative materials and technologies are poised to transform the resource loop in
cement manufacturing:
• Carbonated aggregates produced using captured CO2 offer a dual benefit—reducing emissions and enhancing material performance.
• Alkali-activated binders present a low-carbon alternative to traditional cement, utilising industrial by-products like fly ash and slag.
• AI-powered waste sorting systems enable efficient recovery and reuse of high-quality recycled inputs, minimising landfill dependency.
• Blockchain-based traceability platforms ensure transparency and accountability across circular supply chains.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication 

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement 

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing. 

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities. 

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations. 

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events. 

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders. 

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem. 

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution. 

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Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, 
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”

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Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

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UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.

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