Concrete

Empowering Construction 4.0

Published

8 months ago

November 17, 2025

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Vikram Gulliani, Business Line Manager, Air and Gas Applications, Compressor Technique, Atlas Copco (India), explores how intelligent, energy-efficient and digitally connected compressor technologies are redefining the backbone of India’s Construction 4.0 revolution.

India is on the verge of an infrastructure revolution. With government initiatives such as National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and Gati Shakti Master Plan, India is earmarking investments in infrastructure that will stretch into the multi-trillions to build modern cities, highways, ports and industrial corridors. This rapid acceleration, often termed as ‘Construction 4.0,’ calls for more than just better equipment and digital applications; it calls for dependable support systems, of which compressed air is one of the most important.
Compressed air powers everything from drilling, blasting, tunneling, and concrete spraying to pneumatic tools and energy efficient operation. However, despite its widespread use, conventional air compressors alone won’t be sufficient to meet the demands of the paradigm shift occurring in India’s infrastructure sector. The time for intelligent, environmentally friendly, and digitally enabled compressor solutions that take efficiency, uptime, and environmental effects into account has finally arrived.
Here’s how compressor technology transforms and empowers Construction 4.0 in India.

Crucial changes in construction needs
Since the construction industry has always dependent on heavy machinery, many of which rely on compressed air solutions. All these factors are still crucial in today’s time; however, the contractors and other infrastructure developers nowadays need much more:
• Reliability in hazards of extreme dust, humidity, and ambient temperature: Many projects take place in remote or extreme locations thus, compressors must deliver reliable performance without restriction regardless of dust and/or humidity or ambient extremes
• Smart technology integration: Under Construction 4.0, contractors are seeking data-based insights! Contractors require a compressor with smart controllers and telematics to execute monitoring of air quality, fuel consumption, maintenance capability, and predictive diagnostics.
• Mobility and size: The world is becoming densely populated, urbanised and this is leading to an increase in restrictions where equipment is operated. A compressor occupies very little space and provides a level of portable mobility and minimum noise with higher efficiency.

Energy efficiency as an epicentre
Energy efficiency is the epicenter of the nation’s infrastructure ambition. Construction is energy-intensive and compressed air represents a significant portion of the operational costs. Usually, contractors are focused on the purchase price rather than total lifecycle costs and efficiencies, but with escalating fuel prices and slow-moving projects contractors are finally beginning to examine energy efficiency during project timelines.
• Efficient bulker unloading with low pressure solution: For efficient bulker unloading of materials such as cement and fly ash, compressed air at a controlled pressure is essential. The typical pressure requirement lies in the range of 1.3 to 1.9 bar(g), with a strict upper safety limit of 2.5 bar(g). Delivering air beyond this threshold can risk damage to the bulker or pipeline system. The most efficient solution is to use a low-pressure compressor that generates pressure in this range rather than using a pressure-reducing valve which leads to loss of energy.
• Use of PRV to achieve low pressure is wrong wractice: Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV) are safety devices, not regulators. PRV are not designed for continuous blowing off pressurised air. Using them continuously highlights the poor and oversized design of the air system. This action also results in waste on money and energy as PRV keeps venting, compressed air is wasted leading to higher compressor load, increased energy consumption, and higher CO2 footprint. A sustainable approach will entail using the right product that runs
on the required limits, resulting in energy
efficient action.
• Fuel efficient portable compressors: In specialist applications, a diesel-driven compressor with fuel management features will offer reduced diesel consumption and emissions and increased runtime. The airflow demand varies with tanker size and unloading time, generally ranging between 500 and 1,300 m³/h depending on material bulk density. To achieve consistent unloading performance, oil-free and dry compressed air should be ensured through proper cooling and moisture separation, supported by adequately sized pipelines, valves, and monitoring instruments. For this application, low-pressure screw compressors designed for up to 2.5 bar(g) are preferred over lobe blowers, as they provide the reliability, efficiency, and air quality required for safe bulker unloading operations.
• Optimised air flow: Delivery of the correct air pressure at the right time. Energy efficient compressors will deliver less air and minimised leakages and wasted capacity. The use of VSD in general industry is considered to save energy, however not in this application. As the blower ramps up, any clogging or material buildup in the conveying line causes a false pressure to rise. The VSD interprets this as a signal to reduce motor RPM, which reduces airflow. But in reality, the system needs more flow, not less, to clear the blockage. The blower, instead of helping, slows down further worsening the clog. This feedback loop continues until the blower trips shut down. This phenomenon is known as hunting. A correctly sized fixed flow positive displacement compressor is an ideal solution
• Digital monitoring for energy signals: Connected compressors can provide contractors with real-time data providing them with the ability to benchmark energy use, identify inefficiencies and to take corrective action in real time. Energy efficiency is not just a cost advantage; it is increasingly a differentiator in compliance
and branding.

Maintaining efficiency in the face of urbanisation
Rapid urbanisation creates opportunities and unprecedented challenges. These challenges include aggressive timelines and zero downtime.
This is when our equipped compressor solutions become critical:
• Uptime assurance through smart diagnostics: Connected compressors can provide advance warnings of faults before they occur. For example, Atlas Copco’s smart monitoring platforms use IOT to notify operators of any alarming fault indicators, allowing them to perform maintenance to avoid unplanned stoppage.
• Sustainability without compromise: High-performance compressors with emissions-compliant engines, filtration with fine filters, and sound suppression technology are leading to contractors meeting defined sustainability requirements while still achieving peak performance.
• Flexibility across applications: Whether it’s deep foundation drilling, road building, or sandblasting, compressors need to seamlessly adapt. Contractors achieve flexibility by using multi-mode machines that can manage pressure level switching or flow optimisation and thereby eliminate multiple units.
• Service network and support: Technology alone is not enough to achieve up time. There are contracts that have a requirement for a service network to manage availability of parts, engineers for technical support, and local response. This part of the solution can and usually is a real differentiator. Atlas Copco has been extending its service footprint in India for this precise reason. Achieving sustainability and performance is no longer a compromise; it is a requirement.

Future prospects for the industry
Looking forward, India’s construction and infrastructure will be growing at levels never seen previously. The government projects US$ 1.4 trillion on infrastructure spending by 2030. Smart compressed air solutions will be the backbone to that transition, happening better, faster, greener and more reliable.
We see a few key hospitality opportunities coming:
• Digitally connected sites: The rapid evolution of IoT and cloud solutions will allow compressors to act as intelligent nodes in a connected construction world that provides real time analytics to project managers managing multiple projects.
• Hydrogen and electric compressors: With India’s plans to ramp up green energies, moving towards alternative fuel compressors that will support the transition away from diesel fuel and provide solutions that align with national targets for
net-zero.
• Circularity and lifecycle services: In addition to the machine side of the business, the industry will increasingly examine service models that support circularity throughout the lifecycle. The industry focuses on refurbishment services, remote diagnostics, and pay-per-use models for customers to confidently embrace sustainability.
• Skill development for Construction 4.0: Developing a smarter workforce is an important factor in the implementation of smarter machines. A training approach to encourage familiarisation with digital tools, sustainability and building data literacy through predictive maintenance.
Construction 4.0 is not simply about adopting different digital tools; it is about developing and growing a smarter, greener, and more resilient infrastructure ecosystem that can provide the
base point for economic growth. Compressors,
while less front and center than other machines, are vital enablers of this process. By evolving compressors from the traditional machines of the past to intelligent, energy-efficient, and sustainable elements, we are helping construction companies address their challenges of growth while assuming greater responsibility.
As India builds its future, railways, metros, and cities of the future, smart compressor solutions
will ensure every breath of compressed air helps the project along.

About the author:
Vikram Gulliani, Business Line Manager – Air and Gas Applications, Atlas Copco India, brings 18 years of diverse industrial experience, leveraging his global product and business development expertise to drive the AGA division’s growth in India.

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Cement Sector Faces Sluggish Growth in First Half of FY27

April Price Hikes Unlikely To Offset Margin Decline

Published

23 hours ago

July 13, 2026

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Nuvama Institutional Equities has warned that India’s cement industry is expected to record subdued volume growth in the first half of fiscal year 2026-27 before a recovery in the second half. The brokerage assessed that price increases implemented in April 2026 will be insufficient to offset an overall decline in sector profitability. It attributed the outlook to weak demand and fresh capacity additions scheduled during fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28 that are likely to keep prices under pressure.

The report noted that demand was sluggish in April and May 2026 owing to global uncertainty, labour shortages, heatwaves, constraints in raw materials and unseasonal rainfall. Producers raised prices across regions in April to mitigate rising petcoke costs and higher packaging expenses, but the increases proved short lived. Nuvama reported that standard petcoke prices rose to USD153/t, around USD41/t higher than in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025-26.

Price correction followed weaker demand, limiting the net increase to about Rs 10-12 per bag by the end of the quarter. Imported petcoke prices have since fallen to USD132/t from a recent peak of USD168/t, although they remained roughly USD20/t higher quarter on quarter. The brokerage expected the higher input cost impact to begin reflecting from late quarter one of FY27 and to continue into early quarter two.

Nuvama also estimated that crude linked increases were likely to raise packaging costs by about Rs 120-150/t and to exert upward pressure on freight. It warned that soft demand combined with significant new supply coming on stream in FY27-28 would keep pricing under strain and constrain near term margin recovery. The report concluded that volume growth was likely to be sluggish in the first half of FY27 before recovering in the second half.

Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas launches Limla cement plant, expands Gujarat footprint

Published

1 day ago

July 13, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas opens a 2 MMTPA grinding unit at Limla, entering Gujarat and advancing its target of 35 MMTPA capacity by FY 2028.

Surat (Gujarat)

Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Ltd, a part of Nirma Group and one of India’s leading building materials company, has inaugurated the Limla Cement Plant in Surat (Gujarat), one of Vadraj Cement Limited’s (VCL) principal manufacturing facilities. The commissioning represents a key milestone in Nuvoco’s acquisition and restoration of VCL, while supporting the company’s expansion across the Western Indian cement market.

Vadraj Cement Limited is a subsidiary of Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited and has installed cement capacity of 6 MMTPA across its assets. The Limla inauguration therefore represents the first operational step in the acquired platform’s wider revival, while the Kutch facilities provide clinker supply, mineral security and coastal logistics support for the western business.

Nuvoco completed its acquisition of Vadraj Cement Limited, then under the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process, after paying a consideration of Rs 1,800 crore in June 2025. VCL’s asset portfolio comprises a clinker unit at Kutch and a grinding unit at Limla in Surat. It also includes high-quality captive limestone reserves and a captive jetty at Kutch, supporting more efficient logistics. Following the takeover, Nuvoco began an extensive programme of restoration, refurbishment and expansion at both locations, leading to the commissioning of the Limla plant.

The Limla Cement Plant is expected to support a phased increase in sales volumes across Gujarat. It will also help Nuvoco supply neighbouring markets in Western Maharashtra and release cement capacity from its northern plants, which can consequently be redirected towards markets in North India. The plant will manufacture a full portfolio comprising Ordinary Portland Cement, Portland Slag Cement, Portland Pozzolana Cement and Portland Composite Cement. It will additionally produce the complete Nuvoco Duraguard range, including the premium Nuvoco Duraguard Microfibre product. The acquisition is also expected to generate operational synergies with Nuvoco’s existing plants at Nimbol and Chittorgarh in Rajasthan, improving logistics optimisation and market reach across important regional markets.

The grinding unit at the Limla Cement Plant was completed ahead of schedule, with 2 MMTPA of capacity now inaugurated to expand Nuvoco’s operating scale and customer reach. After Vadraj Cement’s assets become fully operational, plants in North and West India are expected to account for nearly 40 per cent of Nuvoco’s total cement capacity. This will broaden the company’s manufacturing network, strengthen access to high-growth markets and support its plan to increase consolidated cement capacity to 35 MMTPA by FY 2028, reinforcing its longer-term growth strategy.

Commenting on the development, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd, said: “The inauguration of the Limla Grinding Unit in Surat is an important milestone in Nuvoco’s growth journey and demonstrates our commitment to disciplined, value-accretive expansion. Gujarat is strategically significant for Nuvoco, with substantial opportunities arising from infrastructure investment, industrial growth, rapid urbanisation and continuing demand from the housing and construction sectors. The facility strengthens our regional footprint, improves operational flexibility and increases our ability to serve customers across northern and western markets with greater reliability and efficiency.”

He added: “Through the Vadraj acquisition, we have refurbished and restarted a strategically important asset, returning it to operations in record time through strong execution and collaboration between teams. The achievement demonstrates our ability to create value from acquired assets, fulfil our commitments and retain the confidence of stakeholders. It also highlights the strength of our project delivery capabilities and our continued focus on building sustainable, profitable growth over the long term.”

Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited is a building materials company whose vision is to build a safer, smarter and more sustainable world. It is among the leading players in East India and has a significant presence across North and West India. Nuvoco began operations in 2014 with a greenfield cement plant at Nimbol, Rajasthan. It later acquired Lafarge India Limited, which had entered India in 1999, followed by Emami Cement Limited in 2020 and Vadraj Cement Limited in April 2025. The company has also announced an expansion in eastern India through a new grinding mill at the Arasmeta Cement Plant, supported by several debottlenecking programmes involving equipment upgrades, process improvements and internal capacity initiatives. These developments place Nuvoco on track to achieve total cement capacity of approximately 35 MMTPA. The company reported total income of Rs 11,362 crore in FY 2025-26, reflecting its continuing growth trajectory.

Nuvoco operates a diversified portfolio across three segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete and Modern Building Materials. Its cement portfolio includes Concreto, Duraguard, Double Bull, PSC, Nirmax and Infracem, covering Ordinary Portland Cement, Portland Slag Cement, Portland Pozzolana Cement and Portland Composite Cement. Its pan-India RMX business provides value-added products under Concreto for performance concrete, Artiste for decorative concrete, InstaMix for ready-to-use bagged concrete, X-Con covering M20 to M60 grades, and Ecodure for specialised green concrete. Nuvoco has supplied materials to projects including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train, Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Aquatic Gallery at Science City in Ahmedabad, and metro railway projects in Delhi, Jaipur, Noida and Mumbai.

Concrete

Cement Prices To Hold Steady Amid Monsoon Slump

Centrum report says demand weakness will limit hikes

Published

1 week ago

July 6, 2026

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Centrum, a financial services firm, has reported that cement prices are likely to remain largely unchanged in July as weak demand during the monsoon season constrains pricing power. The report noted that construction activity remained subdued in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027 owing to labour shortages and slower execution of government projects. While June showed some volume recovery driven by delayed monsoons and quarter end sales, dealers are cautious about sustaining any price increases.

The analysis suggested that seasonal slowdown related to monsoon will prolong demand and pricing challenges through the second quarter. Dealers saw most recent attempts at price hikes as protective measures rather than genuine shifts in market fundamentals. They signalled that pockets of demand in select regions could prompt isolated adjustments but that broad based increases were unlikely while construction activity remained weak. Market participants therefore expected a cautious stance on pricing.

The report highlighted that despite intermittent recovery in shipments during June, the underlying demand trajectory remained muted as monsoon hampered site level activity and logistics. Commercial builders and retail dealers both reported constrained order books and slower payment cycles, which in turn reduced room for margin expansion among manufacturers. Analysts noted that unless government project execution accelerates markedly, demand improvement would be gradual. Price setters were thus likely to focus on protecting market shares rather than pursuing aggressive increases.

Market watchers said the near term outlook would be shaped by monsoon progress and fiscal spending patterns, with any acceleration in public works offering the most tangible support. Traders expected that regional variations would persist and that trade flows between surplus and deficit centres would determine local price movements. The report concluded that stakeholders should prepare for a period of subdued pricing until demand signals strengthen.