Economy & Market

We are deeply focused on localisation

Published

12 months ago

November 17, 2025

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Vijay Mishra, Commercial Director, Knauf India, discusses building a blueprint for a low-carbon future in India’s construction ecosystem, by integrating recycled gypsum, energy-efficient production, and green-certified solutions.

As India’s built environment continues its rapid expansion, the conversation around sustainable construction has moved from concept to necessity. Knauf India is combining innovation, localisation and circularity to help reduce embodied carbon across the value chain. Their mission is clear: to make every product lighter, cleaner, and more future-ready. In this interaction, Vijay Mishra, Commercial Director, Knauf India talks about aligning the company’s growth with India’s green building goals.

How does Knauf India view its role in supporting emission reduction and sustainability across the broader construction and materials ecosystem?
At Knauf India, we see our role not just as a product manufacturer but as a partner in building a low-carbon future for India’s construction ecosystem. The built environment contributes significantly to global emissions, and the only way forward is to rethink how materials are designed, produced, and used. We’re working to embed sustainability right through the value chain — from using synthetic and recycled gypsum to reducing process waste and energy intensity in our plants. The idea is simple: if every component of a building is engineered to use fewer resources, last longer, and be recoverable at end-of-life, we can collectively make a big dent in construction-related emissions.

Circular innovation is central to your strategy. How are recycled gypsum and take-back programs reducing environmental impact?
Circular innovation sits at the core of how Knauf operates globally, and we’re bringing that same philosophy to India. We use synthetic gypsum, which is a by-product from industrial desulphurisation processes, in place of mined gypsum — this helps reduce extraction and keeps valuable material in circulation. Internationally, Knauf runs ‘Take-Back’ programmes that collect gypsum board waste from construction and demolition sites, recycle it, and feed it back into production. In India, we are exploring similar models, starting with pilot initiatives around waste segregation and recovery from large projects. Gypsum, unlike many materials, can be recycled endlessly without losing its properties — and that’s a huge opportunity for our industry to close the material loop and bring down overall environmental impact.

What contribution can material reuse and recovery models make toward lowering embodied carbon in building materials?
Material reuse and recovery models can transform the carbon equation for construction materials. Every tonne of gypsum we recycle means one less tonne to mine and process — and that translates to meaningful carbon savings. Beyond that, when materials are designed to be taken apart, reused, or reprocessed, we reduce demolition waste and the need for virgin inputs. The embodied carbon of a product doesn’t only come from manufacturing — it’s tied to the entire lifecycle. If we design materials that live longer and return safely into the cycle, we make our buildings far more efficient from an emissions standpoint.

Plasterboards are rapidly replacing traditional POP — what makes them a more sustainable and energy-efficient alternative?
That’s true — plasterboards have essentially become the default choice for ceilings across most Indian cities today. Twenty years ago, the ceiling market was largely unorganised — dominated by manually produced POP sheets. Back then, the entire market was barely `65 crore. Today, it’s over `5,000 crore, and growing rapidly. This shift has been driven by both economics and sustainability.
POP sheets required labour-intensive casting and drying under the sun — a process that was cheap but highly inefficient and inconsistent. Post-COVID, as labour costs rose and timelines became tighter, the industry naturally moved toward plasterboard systems that are factory-made, consistent, and far less wasteful. A plasterboard ceiling requires less material, produces minimal site waste, and delivers better thermal and fire performance. From an environmental standpoint, these boards are energy-efficient to manufacture, use recycled content, and are quicker to install — reducing on-site emissions and water use.

With India’s ceiling market expanding rapidly, how is Knauf ensuring growth remains aligned with green building standards?
India’s ceiling market still has tremendous headroom for growth. To put it in perspective, plasterboard consumption here is only 0.13 square metres per capita, compared to a global average of 1.4, and over 2.5–3 in countries like Thailand or Vietnam. That tells you how early we are in the journey. But we want that growth to happen responsibly. All our products are manufactured under BIS and ISI-certified processes and align with GRIHA and IGBC green building parameters. Our DewBloc Moisture-Resistant board, for example, is designed for India’s diverse climates — especially high-humidity regions — ensuring durability and lower replacement rates, which directly translates to lower lifecycle emissions. We are deeply focused on localisation — producing closer to our markets, sourcing locally, and designing products suited to India’s building typologies. That combination — localisation plus circular thinking — is what will make this growth both scalable and sustainable.

Can you share how localisation and zero-process waste practices are improving both efficiency and emission performance?
Localisation is key to sustainability. Manufacturing close to our markets reduces transportation emissions, supports local employment, and shortens supply chains. Our plants are designed with closed-loop water systems and near zero process waste, meaning almost everything that goes into production is either part of the product or recycled back. We also source a significant portion of raw materials locally, which not only helps emission control but also aligns with the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision. It’s a practical approach — efficient, sustainable, and economically sensible.

How do government programmes like PMAY influence the demand for eco-friendly and emission-conscious interior systems?
PMAY and similar housing initiatives are redefining the way we think about affordability and sustainability.
Earlier, the focus in mass housing was primarily on cost and speed. Today, there’s a growing awareness that energy-efficient, durable materials actually reduce lifecycle costs. Lightweight systems like gypsum boards make faster, cleaner, and more energy-efficient construction possible, which aligns perfectly with the government’s push for sustainable urban housing.
As public sector projects increasingly adopt green building frameworks, it naturally creates more demand for emission-conscious materials.

What innovations in gypsum technology or material science could further support low-carbon construction?
There is some really exciting work happening globally and within Knauf in material science.
Innovations like bio-based additives, lightweight core formulations, and moisture- and fire-resistant boards are making gypsum systems even more durable and efficient. Another area is design for disassembly — creating systems that can be easily taken apart and reused, which directly supports circular construction. The long-term goal is to create materials that perform better in buildings and are responsible at the end of their life — that’s where low-carbon construction truly begins.

– Kanika Mathur

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Economy & Market

Leonard Unveils Dual-Head Robotic Arm for Hazardous Industrial Demolition

Published

12 hours ago

October 30, 2026

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Leonard unveils Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve industrial safety and reduce shutdown time by up to 50 per cent.

Industrial robotics and refractory services specialist Leonard has launched Descender Duo, a dual-head robotic demolition arm designed to improve safety, accelerate maintenance and reduce shutdown times in hazardous industrial environments. The system made its debut at Lisahally Power Station in Northern Ireland, removing 25 tonnes of slag material within hours.

Developed for the cement, metals, waste-to-energy and petrochemical industries, Descender Duo enables remote-controlled refractory demolition, anchor cutting and welding, and refractory spraying inside boilers, calciners and silos. Its vertical-access design eliminates the need for personnel to enter confined, high-risk spaces during these operations.

Weighing less than two tonnes, the pre-assembled system requires an access opening of just 1.2 m². Supported by an external overhead hoist, it uses electrically operated hydraulic stabilising legs to secure itself inside vessels. The robotic arm offers 360-degree rotation and is suited to vessels approximately 9 m in diameter, with its operating reach extendable through strategically positioned access points.

Equipped with two independently controlled robotic heads, Descender Duo can perform identical or different tasks simultaneously, including refractory demolition, anchor cutting and spraying. Its remote-control system incorporates live camera feeds, allowing operators to monitor operations without entering hazardous environments.

According to Leonard, the technology can deliver time savings of up to 50 per cent compared with manual methods. Its ability to operate at temperatures exceeding 100°C allows maintenance to begin as early as 24 hours after burner shutdown. An all-electric power supply further supports cleaner and more cost-efficient operations.

First Deployment Demonstrates Shutdown Efficiency

The system was first deployed at Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor’s (BWSC) Lisahally Power Station in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The facility generates electricity from grade C waste wood, supplying approximately 40,000 homes and businesses.

Leonard and BWSC collaborated to develop a customised solution for the plant’s 26-metre furnace, where extensive external pipework created significant access challenges.

Mark Leonard, Managing Director, Leonard, said, “It required new thinking and rather than step away from the problem we were committed to solving it for the customer, with the customer. We’re relentless in our approach to tackling complex challenges, head-on. We took our years of cement plant experience, coupled with our working knowledge of the BWSC plant, and designed, engineered and tested a completely new vertical solution within just seven weeks from that initial conversation with the customer. That solution was the Descender Duo as we know it today.”

Traditionally, the furnace required a cooling period of up to 36 hours before preparatory work could begin, followed by manual slag removal using rope-access personnel. With Descender Duo, work commenced just 24 hours after shutdown, reducing downtime by up to one day.

The deployment removed 25 tonnes of slag within hours, eliminated the need for at least six workers to enter the hazardous furnace interior and saved 26 hours in the shutdown programme.

“The effectiveness exceeded expectation,” said Martin Doran, Plant Manager at Lisahally Power Station.

“When the Descender Duo concept was first discussed, we had to spend some time with the team from Leonard looking at how it was going to be moved into the furnace. Every site is different and that presented its own challenges, but nothing that the team couldn’t overcome. Once it was installed we were hugely impressed by its efficiency.”

Expanding Industrial Robotics Applications

Descender Duo joins Leonard’s existing portfolio of robotic maintenance solutions, including the Axis horizontal-access arm, Nano confined-space access arm, Charger cement mill media recharging system and Calibre cement mill media grading system.

Headquartered in Northern Ireland, Leonard provides robotic refractory demolition, installation, inspection and industrial maintenance services across the cement, metals, energy, biomass, glass and civil engineering sectors.

Formerly known as G Leonard, the company has more than 35 years of industry experience and operates across Europe, North America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

The latest innovation reinforces Leonard’s focus on replacing hazardous manual processes with robotic systems that improve workforce safety, enhance operational efficiency and minimise industrial downtime.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

19 hours ago

October 30, 2026

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Martin Engineering names Ashwini Khunte India General Manager to strengthen operations and drive growth across key bulk material handling sectors.

Pune

Martin Engineering, a global provider of bulk material handling solutions, has appointed Ashwini Khunte as General Manager of its India business, strengthening its leadership as the company expands its presence across the country’s cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure sectors.

Khunte brings more than a decade of experience with Martin Engineering, having joined its Indian operations in 2013 as a Design Engineer, shortly after the company established its presence in the country in 2012.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, she spent her initial five years developing bulk material handling solutions in collaboration with the company’s operations team. During this period, she gained extensive experience addressing operational challenges in the steel, cement and coal industries. She subsequently moved into project engineering, managing major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) projects from initial enquiry to commissioning. Her responsibilities later expanded to overseeing Martin Engineering’s conveyor product portfolio in India, involving customer engagement, technical presentations and site visits across heavy industries.

In 2024, Khunte was promoted to Head of Sales & Marketing for the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) region. The position broadened her international market exposure and strengthened her strategic and commercial leadership capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashwini Khunte, General Manager, Martin Engineering India, said: “India represents a tremendous opportunity for Martin Engineering. The country’s continued investment in cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure is creating increasing demand for safer, cleaner and more productive bulk material handling, and that’s exactly what we do. My priority will be to build on the strong foundations already established in India, while continuing to develop our people, strengthen customer relationships and bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by our industry.”

Robert Whetstone, Area Vice President – EMEAI, Martin Engineering, highlighted Khunte’s technical expertise, market understanding and leadership experience.

“Ashwini brings an exceptional combination of technical understanding, customer knowledge and commercial leadership. She has grown as Martin Engineering has grown, and has consistently demonstrated outstanding capability to transform her expertise into practical solutions. Her knowledge of the Indian market, together with her international experience, makes her ideally suited to lead our India business through its next stage of growth for years to come.”

Since establishing its Indian business in 2012, Martin Engineering has expanded its local workforce, manufacturing capabilities and dealership network. The company supplies conveyor products, transfer point solutions, material flow aids, training and technical support to bulk material handling industries. Khunte’s appointment positions the company to further strengthen customer relationships and expand its solutions portfolio in India’s growing industrial and infrastructure markets.

Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

Published

2 weeks ago

October 19, 2026

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Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com