Concrete

Evolving in response to customer needs

Published

7 months ago

November 17, 2025

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Tushar Kulkarni, Business Head – Minerals – Cement & Mining, Innomotics India, shares insights on digitalisation technologies that are powering the cement industry’s transition.

From high-performance motor and drive systems to AI-powered optimisation and digital twins, Innomotics is leading a quiet revolution in the cement sector’s electrification and automation landscape. Its deep domain expertise—spanning over three decades—now converges with advanced digitalisation to make plants smarter, more efficient, and more sustainable. In this conversation, Tushar Kulkarni, Business Head – Minerals – Cement & Mining, Innomotics India, discusses how Innomotics’ innovations, including the new High Voltage Compact (HVC) motors, CEMAT automation platform, and AI-driven process solutions, are empowering cement manufacturers to achieve operational excellence and decarbonisation goals simultaneously.

How is Innomotics redefining the ‘motion and drive’ paradigm specifically for the cement industry?
Our products and solutions for the cement industry incorporate more than 35 years of experience and collaboration with the world’s leading cement companies. They are based on proven standards and tailored to the specific demands of your industry. Since many decades, Innomotics prides itself as a technology provider in Electrification and Automation space and continuously supports various cement manufacturers in operating plants in efficient condition – be it energy efficiency, plant uptime and reliable operations.
In today’s Industry 4.0 era, Innomotics with innovative and state-of-the-art digitalisation solutions specific to cement manufacturing, is set to boost our customers’ effort in achieving sustainability goals by enabling them in adapting to fast changing market scenario and maintain their competitive position with continuous improvement in productivity, efficiency and optimum utilisation of resources.

What recent breakthroughs in motor / drive technology are you most excited about?
We have recently launched our High Voltage Compact (HVC) motor portfolio. The high voltage compact IEC motors cover a power range from 150 kW to 2.7 MW, in the various cooling types for low installation heights – in addition to classic fin cooling, also available with water jacket cooling. With these versions, they seamlessly cover the corresponding power and application ranges – from basic or standard up to sector-specific applications. They can also address extreme requirements with degree of protection up to IP66. The compact motors set themselves apart because of its high-power density and compact design that applies across the board. Due to their outstanding reliability, as well as low maintenance, they boost plant and system availability and reduce energy costs based on their high efficiencies.
For three decades, Innomotics Perfect Harmony GH180 has stood as a defining force in medium voltage drive technology, transforming industry standards with unmatched reliability and digital innovation. This milestone celebrates a legacy of engineering excellence that continues to empower customers worldwide.
Since its introduction, the GH180 has gained global recognition as a trusted leader. Its innovative modular cell architecture delivers safe and efficient medium voltage power. With more than 25,000 installations internationally, the success of the GH180 rests on three core commitments:

1. Unwavering reliability and consistency
Providing steady and predictable operation that minimises downtime while maximising confidence.
2. Continuous innovation with user-centric efficiency
Evolving in response to customer needs, ensuring intuitive and accessible operation at every stage.
3. Advanced digital integration
Leveraging smart technologies through Inspire IQ, the company’s IIoT digitalisation solution for drive systems, to enhance performance and connectivity within the framework of Industry 4.0.

Describe how your CEMAT automation platform brings new value in cement plant operations?
Cement manufacturing is an exhaustive process, from Quarry to Lorry, and requires a high number of equipment to be controlled and signals to be monitored. Designed specifically for the Cement and Mining industries, CEMAT library efficiently operates processes with many interlocks and equipment, keeping the equipment safe.
Customers are continuously looking for efficient resource utilisation, without compromising the quality and performance KPIs. Here is where CEMAT an integrated process control system with cement and mining standards comes into view. CEMAT is not just about delivering some operation blocks but setting up plant operation culture in the right perspective, backed by 50+ years of experience and knowledge embedded in its DNA. Due to the legacy of CEMAT (900 installations worldwide), many cement manufacturers already speak the CEMAT language, making it easier for new customers to adapt to it quickly. Offering excellent process automation and a solid base for digitalisation, it plays a key role in all phases of cement production.

How are AI / data analytics solutions like AIKiln or AIMill (or equivalent) being used in cement plants?
Our DigiMine AI Pyro & AI Mill solutions provide optimum setpoints for Pyro and Mill automation systems, ensuring efficient and stable operations and thereby enhancing productivity and energy optimisation.
These solutions are powered by self-learning AI technology, which can adapt its algorithms in case of changes in the process or operating environment. AI Simulator – part of the solution further enables process teams to identify improvement areas and validate improvement steps virtually, saving time and material wastage in trying implementations of different steps at site.

In what ways does your portfolio support retrofits in legacy cement plants?
The PCS7 CEMAT-based automation solutions are truly scalable. It supports multiple versions in a single project; this enables individual sections to upgrade while other sections are in operation.
In new builds, the scalable capability of CEMAT automation solutions supports simultaneous commissioning of various plant sections, which helps in reducing the overall commissioning time.
For plant revamps, CEMAT automation solutions support cement manufacturers in scaling the plant while many sections are still in operation. Hence, with reduced overall downtime, customers can easily plan plant expansions during revamps.
For motors and drives, when their service life ends, we can modernise them either with a retrofit or an upgrade, depending on operational goals. Our tiered services cater to customer needs and can help assess the right approach for their goals, including what to do once the end of the lifecycle has been reached.
When the time has come, our drive retrofit and upgrade services provides customer production systems with the latest advancements for a high reliability and availability. A retrofit gives a functional replacement of the original drive, which may have unique properties or a special function. Upgrades, on the other hand, are more common – replacing section of the drives with new technology.
When the lifecycle of motor or generator comes to an end, Innomotics offers different options to cover your asset. This can either be a replica where the whole existing machine will be reproduced.
If customer prefer to choose a retrofit, the
latest technology machine from the current portfolio will be used with interface adaptions to fit into the existing installation.

What’s your approach to co-innovating with cement OEMs, plants, or academic R&D partners?
For over four years, we have been working and developing digital AI based process optimisation solutions like AI Pyro and AI Mill in close collaboration with domain and subject matter experts in cement production. Therefore, our digitalisation solutions bring a unique combination of process expertise and latest digital AI technology, thereby improving efficiency and productivity of process by identifying best operating parameter values and further optimising them based on current conditions.
These solutions are tested live in cement processes such as Pyro and Cement Mill at different cement plants, yielding promising outcomes. It creates its own knowledge database of good and bad operating conditions which it keeps on updating during operation, also considering feedback from expert and operator on a continuous basis, which makes the solution become more intelligent over the time, thereby recommending enhanced set point and improving process optimisation.

Over the next 5–10 years, which radical or disruptive technologies (beyond current stage) do you believe Innomotics must lead in?
The current advancement in electrical and automation technologies has enabled the system to achieve its peak performance for day-to-day activities far smoother than it was earlier. Also, Industry 4.0 has enabled automation systems to provide efficient and consistent data.
With this advancement, AI-based systems have started receiving continuous meaningful data to perform many activities, which has allowed AI / ML models to predict outcomes accurately, thereby helping customers achieve their sustainability goals.
Currently, we are implementing specific process AI systems i.e. AI Pyro and AI Mill. With our futuristic goal to develop a single AI system for the entire cement manufacturing process, we are on path to develop a common platform which can connect with different automation / third-party systems to collect data seamlessly, provide Analytics Dashboards and Reports 24X7 as well as provide set-points for control parameters from Quarry to Lorry.

Reference: Insights Magazine, Innomotics.com

Table 3a: Impact of Digital Tools
Achievable Improvements from AI Pyro: Derived Benefits:
• Specific heat consumption by 3 per cent – 5 per cent decrease
• AFR (Alternative Fuels) usage up to 5 per cent Increase
• Increase Process stability • Consistent clinker quality associated with stable process
• CO2 reduction
• Sulphur Content reduction
• NOx Content reduction
• Detection of preheater jamming at earlier stages

Achievable Improvements from AI Pyro: Derived Benefits:
• Productivity (Throughput) by 3 per cent – 5 per cent increase
• Specific Power Consumption up to 2 per cent Decrease • Increased machine availability

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Concrete

Cement Makers Reaffirm Commitment to Sustainable Growth

Published

4 days ago

June 5, 2026

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World Environment Day spotlight on innovation and circularity

On World Environment Day, the Indian cement industry reiterated its commitment to supporting India’s climate ambitions through sustainable manufacturing, resource efficiency and the adoption of cleaner technologies.

The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) said the sector remains aligned with the Government of India’s Net Zero commitments and is accelerating efforts to reduce its environmental footprint while supporting the country’s infrastructure and development agenda.

Parth Jindal, President, CMA and Managing Director, JSW Cement, said the industry is increasingly adopting cleaner technologies, improving energy efficiency and expanding the use of alternative fuels and raw materials. He also highlighted the growing importance of circular economy practices, where industrial by-products and waste streams from one sector are utilised as resources in another.

“The Indian Cement Industry is aligned to the Government’s commitments on carbon mitigation and is accelerating the adoption of cleaner technologies, resource efficiency and circular economy practices while actively exploring the potential of Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) as a critical pathway for deep decarbonisation,” said Jindal.

He added that coprocessing industrial waste and by-products helps conserve natural resources, reduce disposal requirements and lower the environmental footprint across multiple sectors.

According to Jindal, sustainability is no longer limited to manufacturing processes but is increasingly influencing investment decisions, innovation strategies and long-term growth plans within the industry.

Echoing similar views, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Vice President, CMA and Managing Director, JK Cement, said sustainable development extends beyond emissions reduction and must also focus on responsible resource utilisation and waste minimisation.

“Sustainability in the built environment cannot be measured by emissions alone. It is equally about how efficiently we use resources, how effectively we minimise waste and how responsibly we create the infrastructure that will serve future generations,” said Singhania.

He noted that the cement industry is advancing its sustainability agenda through greater resource efficiency, increased circularity, technological innovation and continuous improvements in manufacturing practices. As a key contributor to India’s infrastructure development, the sector has a critical role to play in balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility.

On the occasion of World Environment Day, industry leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting India’s climate goals while delivering the materials required for resilient, durable and sustainable infrastructure.

Concrete

Building a Greener Future Together

Published

5 days ago

June 4, 2026

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Environmental sustainability requires immediate action, not just long-term commitments and discussions. Recycling, circular economy practices, and technology-driven waste management can help industries reduce environmental impact while supporting sustainable growth.

Author: Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO, Fornnax Technology

World Environment Day serves as an important reminder that environmental sustainability can no longer remain confined to discussions, reports, or long-term commitments. The environmental challenges facing the world today demand immediate, measurable, and collective action. Across industries and communities, waste generation continues to outpace our ability to process it responsibly, placing increasing pressure on ecosystems, natural resources, public health, and the well-being of future generations.

One of the most significant shifts required today is a change in how society perceives waste. Rather than being viewed as a material to be discarded, waste must be recognised as a valuable resource that can contribute to both economic growth and environmental protection when managed through the right technologies and systems. This mindset forms the foundation of the circular economy model that countries across the world are increasingly adopting to reduce landfill dependence, recover valuable materials, and create more sustainable industrial ecosystems.

India has made meaningful progress in strengthening awareness around sustainability, recycling, and environmental responsibility over the past decade. Significant efforts are being made to formalise the recycling sector through improved infrastructure, technology adoption, policy implementation, and broader stakeholder participation. These developments are creating a stronger foundation for responsible waste management and resource recovery across the country.

However, achieving long-term environmental impact requires collaboration from all stakeholders. Industries, policymakers, technology providers, and communities must work together with greater accountability to strengthen recycling ecosystems, encourage responsible waste management practices, and create sustainable outcomes through consistent execution rather than temporary interventions.

As someone closely associated with the recycling industry, I firmly believe that technology will play a decisive role in addressing future environmental challenges. Advanced recycling systems have the potential to recover valuable resources, reduce pollution, minimise landfill burdens, and conserve energy, creating a more sustainable future for generations to come. This belief is deeply reflected in Fornnax’s motto, “Committed to Create a Green Future,” which embodies our commitment to building long-term environmental value through innovation and responsible action.

At the same time, technology alone cannot deliver meaningful change. Real progress requires intent, awareness, participation, and a shared sense of responsibility. Sustainable development can only be achieved when innovation is supported by collective action and a genuine commitment to environmental stewardship.

On this World Environment Day, let us move beyond conversations and take meaningful steps towards creating a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable planet. By embracing innovation, strengthening recycling ecosystems, and acting responsibly today, we can create lasting environmental impact and secure a better future for generations to come.

Concrete

JK Lakshmi Advances LC3 Cement Expansion

Company highlights commercial production and research partnerships

Published

1 week ago

June 1, 2026

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The meeting reviewed progress in limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) technology and its commercial adoption in India’s cement sector, focusing on low-carbon alternatives to conventional binders. JK Lakshmi Cement noted that limestone calcined clay cement can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 40 per cent compared with conventional cement and said this reduction supports industry decarbonisation. The company highlighted that it was among the first two cement manufacturers in India to move LC3 into commercial production after the Bureau of Indian Standards approved the technology as a cement standard.

Vinita Singhania said the transition of LC3 from research to commercial production reflected collaboration between industry, academia and international institutions. Maya Tissafi acknowledged JK Lakshmi Cement’s role in advancing LC3 adoption in India and its contribution in taking the technology from laboratory trials to commercial implementation. Both representatives underlined the growing relevance of sustainable construction materials as India expands infrastructure and urban development.

The meeting explored continued collaboration with Swiss research institutions such as EPFL, EMPA and ETH Zurich alongside Indian academic partners and development organisations. JK Lakshmi Cement has been associated with the LC3 initiative since 2014 and worked with EPFL, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, Development Alternatives and Technology and Action for Rural Advancement. The company conducted one of the earliest industrial trials of LC3 and recently announced commercial production of Green Pro LC3 cement from its Jaykaypuram plant in Rajasthan.

India remains the world’s second-largest cement producer and expansion of infrastructure, urbanisation and housing demand continue to support long-term sector growth, increasing interest in low-carbon technologies. The company reported an annual turnover of more than Rupees (Rs) 60 bn and current cement capacity of about 18 million (mn) tonnes (t) per annum, with a target of reaching 30 million (mn) tonnes (t) by 2030. Apart from grey cement, the company also makes ready-mix concrete, gypsum plaster, wall putty, primers, adhesives and fly ash blocks, and both sides concluded on the need for continued collaboration to develop sustainable construction solutions.