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How Mobil SHC™ 600 series is redefining gearbox performance for India’s cement industry.

Cement manufacturing runs on heavy rotating equipment operating continuously under high loads, elevated temperatures, and demanding duty cycles. Gearboxes sit at the centre of this, and when lubrication falls short, the consequences show up directly in energy consumption, maintenance costs and unplanned downtime.
The pressure on global supply chains today is real, and businesses across sectors are finding new ways to absorb it. For cement plants, that resilience starts at the most fundamental level — with every lubrication decision, every oil
drain interval, and every gearbox that either runs efficiently or does not. Mobil™ ensures the shop floor stays steady.
“In uncertain times, businesses need partners they can rely on without question. Mobil™’s commitment is straightforward – deliver products that perform, support teams that show up, and solutions that keep our customers productive. That has always been our promise, and it does not change with the times,” says Abhinav Jogi, General Manager – Commercial Marketing, South Asia Pacific, ExxonMobil Lubricants.

Built for the demands of heavy industrial equipment
Cement plants run some of the most demanding rotating equipment in any industrial setting, gearboxes operating continuously under high loads, severe temperatures and long duty cycles
with little tolerance for failure. Mobil SHC™ 600 Series is engineered specifically for this category of equipment.
Mobil SHC™ 600 Series synthetic lubricants can reduce energy consumption in gearboxes and circulating systems by up to 3.6 per cent*. They can also:
• Extend oil life by up to six times vs. conventional oil
• Offer similar seal and metals compatibility as conventional oils
• Operate in a wide range of applications
The series spans seven viscosity grades, from ISO VG 32 to ISO VG 1000, giving plants the flexibility to match the right grade to the right application. Mobil SHC™ 629, 630, 632, 634, 636, and 639 are approved by Siemens AG for use
in Flender gearboxes, an endorsement that
matters to plants running equipment built around that standard.

Three properties that translate into real operational gains
What separates Mobil SHC™ 600 Series from conventional gear oils comes down to three core properties:
• Superb high temperature thermal and oxidation resistance, which helps extend equipment’s high temperature operating capability
• High viscosity index and absence of wax, which helps maintain viscosity and film thickness even as temperatures climb
• Low traction coefficient, which helps reduce friction and increase efficiency in sliding mechanisms
On paper, these read as technical specifications. On the plant floor, they translate into gearboxes that run cooler, oil that lasts longer between changes, and energy that is not lost to friction it should never have had to overcome.

Proof from an Indian cement plant
These benefits are not theoretical. A cement manufacturer in Tamil Nadu was using a conventional mineral-based gear oil in a premium transmission gearbox. The oil could not handle the heavy load and friction inside the gearbox, causing it to break down faster than expected, and the plant was changing it every 2,000 hours, far more often than ideal. Using oil analysis, ExxonMobil identified that the oil’s viscosity had dropped and that
the gearbox was running hotter than it should, due to contamination.
Mobil recommended Mobil SHC™ 632, a PAO-based ISO VG 320 oil with greater viscometric properties and a low traction coefficient, delivering better film thickness at high temperatures and good flowability at low temperatures. Following the changeover, ExxonMobil’s Field Engineering Services also provided SIGNUM used oil analysis and thermal inspection to track the ongoing condition of both the equipment and the lubricant.
The results were measurable and significant**:
• 1 per cent increase in energy efficiency
• 3°C reduction in gearbox temperature
• Oil drain interval extended by four times
• Annual savings of INR 4,76,772
A 1 per cent efficiency gain may sound
modest in isolation, but on equipment that runs continuously, every day, every year, that margin compounds into meaningful savings, exactly the kind of return a plant can point to when justifying a lubricant decision.

What this means for India’s cement industry
As cement plants across India continue to face pressure on both energy costs and uptime, gearbox lubrication remains one of the most direct and controllable levers available. The results from this single Indian operation make the case clearly: the right lubricant does more than protect equipment, it actively improves the economics of running it.

Fill with Mobil™. Fill with Confidence.
For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business

*Energy efficiency relates solely to the performance of Mobil SHC 600 when compared to conventional (mineral) reference oils of the same viscosity grade in circulating and gear applications. The technology used allows up to 3.6 per cent efficiency compared to the reference when tested in a worm gearbox under controlled conditions. Efficiency improvements will vary based on operating conditions and application.
**This Proof of Performance is based on the experience of a single customer. Actual results can vary depending upon the type of equipment used and its maintenance, operating conditions and environment, and any prior lubricant used.
Exxon Mobil Corporation has numerous affiliates, many with names that include ExxonMobil, Exxon, Esso, and Mobil. For convenience and simplicity, those terms, and references to ‘corporation,’ ‘company,’ ‘ExxonMobil,’ ‘EM,’ and other similar terms are used for convenience and may refer to one or more specific affiliates or affiliate groups.

For more information, visit www.mobil.in/business

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Concrete

India’s Core Sector Growth Eases to 4.8 Per Cent in August

Cement, electricity and iron ore offset declines in other sectors

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India’s output across eight core industries grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, easing from the revised 5.0 per cent growth recorded in July, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks eight key infrastructure sectors, accounts for a significant share of the Index of Industrial Production.

Cement production led the expansion with growth of 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent and iron ore at 5.5 per cent. Steel output increased 3.4 per cent, while refinery products rose 2.6 per cent during the month. The ministry identified cement, electricity and iron ore as the main contributors to overall core sector growth in recent months.

The gains were partly offset by contractions in several sectors. Coal output declined 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while natural gas and crude oil production fell 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively. Fertiliser production recorded the sharpest decline, falling 12.4 per cent in August.

Cumulative growth in the ICI during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Steel output increased 4.1 per cent during the period, while cement and electricity production grew 10.3 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers recorded negative cumulative growth during April-August. Their contractions stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, 4.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively. The ministry also revised the final ICI for July to 120.8 from the earlier provisional estimate of 121.2, resulting in a downward revision in the month’s growth rate to 5.0 per cent from 5.4 per cent.

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Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

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Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

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Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

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The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.
The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.
Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.
The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.
“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.
Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”
Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.
The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.
The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.

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