Concrete

Om Birla: World Sees India as a Key Investment Destination

Speaker says India’s democracy and growth draw global confidence

Published

5 months ago

November 4, 2025

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Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday said that the world is increasingly looking to invest in India, drawn by its vibrant democracy, rapid economic expansion, and technological prowess. Speaking at the 125th Anniversary Celebrations of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata, themed “India@100: An Age of a New Dawn,” Birla said that under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the nation is steadily advancing towards becoming a global economic powerhouse.

He emphasised the government’s commitment to building a business-friendly environment, driven by the principles of minimum government, maximum governance. The administration, he said, is focused on reducing bureaucratic hurdles, expanding industrial capacity, and encouraging innovation. Birla also urged the private sector to invest more in research and development (R&D) and strive to meet global standards, assuring that the government will complement such efforts to strengthen India’s innovation-led growth.

Praising the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Birla called it a source of inspiration for business chambers across India. He lauded its 125-year legacy of resilience, foresight, and public service, recalling its origins as the Marwari Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber, he noted, has played a key role in India’s industrial, social, and economic transformation and in promoting corporate social responsibility.

Birla observed that India’s success as a democracy lies in its stability, inclusiveness, and deep cultural roots. “Democracy in India is not just a system of governance, but a way of life,” he said, adding that the nation’s robust institutions ensure policy continuity and investor confidence, both crucial for long-term growth.

He stressed that where democracy thrives, sound policy decisions and effective implementation follow, creating a foundation for sustainable development. Birla also highlighted India’s rise as a global innovation hub, driven by strong public–private partnerships in technology and R&D, which are propelling India into leadership positions in emerging industries.

Touching on inclusive growth, Birla noted that the increasing participation of women and youth reflects India’s social transformation. He highlighted women’s growing role across sectors and said they will remain pivotal in shaping a self-reliant and developed India. Similarly, he praised India’s youth and entrepreneurs for driving creativity, enterprise, and innovation, shaping the country’s future with energy and vision.

Reaffirming the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, Birla called for stronger collaboration among industry, government, and academia to build a resilient, self-sustaining economy. He also underlined India’s emerging leadership in clean and green energy, expressing confidence that the country will play a leading role in addressing climate and environmental challenges globally.

Acknowledging West Bengal’s historical contribution to India’s growth, Birla said the state has long been a cradle of intellectual, cultural, and industrial excellence. He noted that Bengal has produced eminent thinkers, reformers, poets, and industrialists, and continues to inspire the nation with its enduring spirit of innovation and enterprise.

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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

3 hours 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

15 hours 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 days 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.