Concrete

From Plants to Projects

Published

2 months ago

September 26, 2026

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Professor Procyon Mukherjee discusses the various nuances of logistics in cement, from freight optimisation to revenue management.

For decades, the cement industry has asked a relatively simple logistics question: How do we move a tonne of cement from the plant to the customer at the lowest possible cost? The next question could be far more powerful:
What is this tonne worth to us, here and now, given the opportunities and constraints across our entire network?
That shift—from cost optimisation to value optimisation—could fundamentally change the way cement is sold, priced and distributed.
The cement industry is entering a new chapter in logistics. It is not simply about artificial intelligence (AI), control towers, GPS-enabled trucks, rail, coastal shipping or automated despatch. These are the building blocks. The real opportunity is to combine them with commercial intelligence and create something analogous to revenue management in aviation: a system that continuously evaluates demand, capacity, network constraints, customer requirements and opportunity cost to determine the most valuable way to allocate every tonne.
In other words, cement logistics could become a pricing engine.

The airline lesson
Airlines provide perhaps the clearest analogy.
An airline does not price a seat simply by calculating the cost of flying one additional passenger. The seat is a perishable piece of capacity. Once the aircraft departs, an unsold seat has zero value. Therefore, the airline continuously balances current demand against expected future demand and the remaining capacity of its network. Modern revenue management combines forecasting, capacity control, network optimisation and dynamic pricing. IATA describes the underlying logic in terms of evaluating the contribution from selling now against the opportunity cost of not selling—essentially, what the capacity might be worth if allocated differently.
Cement is obviously not an airline seat. But the economic principle is surprisingly transferable.
A cement company’s capacity is also constrained, although the constraints are distributed across a much more physical network: kiln and grinding capacity, inventory, silos, trucks, rail rakes, vessels, terminals, loading slots, unloading capacity and delivery windows.
And unlike an airline, a cement company can often change the route by which the product reaches the customer.
That makes the opportunity potentially even more interesting.

From cost-to-serve to value-to-network Consider a simple example.
A customer wants 1,000 tonnes of cement delivered tomorrow.
The traditional approach calculates the cost of producing and transporting those tonnes and adds the appropriate margin. But the real economic answer depends on what is happening across the network at that particular moment.
Perhaps Plant A has spare capacity and 30 trucks are returning empty to the region where the customer is located. The order could be extremely attractive because it fills an otherwise unproductive capacity.
Now consider another customer in a different market. That customer also wants 1,000 tonnes, but fulfilling the order tomorrow would require diverting trucks from a market where demand is rising sharply. Rail capacity is constrained and a coastal shipment is already committed.
The second order may have a much higher network opportunity cost, even if its physical distance from the plant is shorter.
The question therefore cannot simply be: What does it cost to deliver this order?
It should be: What economic value do we create by accepting this order rather than using our constrained capacity elsewhere?
That is the foundation of Cement Network Revenue Management.

Dynamic pricing does not mean surge pricing This distinction is important.
Dynamic pricing in cement should not mean changing the price every hour in an Uber-like fashion. Nor should it become a mechanism for simply charging more whenever logistics costs rise.
The more sophisticated proposition is network-value pricing.
The system could continuously calculate:
Optimal price = market value + service
value + logistics cost + network opportunity cost – network benefit
The final term is particularly important.
Suppose a truck is sitting idle near a plant. A customer willing to accept a particular delivery window could utilise that truck and avoid an empty return journey. The network benefit may allow the cement company to offer a more competitive price while still earning a superior contribution.
Conversely, if fulfilling an urgent order consumes scarce rail, truck or terminal capacity that could serve a more valuable market tomorrow, the opportunity cost rises.
The system should therefore be capable of moving prices both up and down. This is not simple surge pricing. It is optimising the value of the network.

Building the required architecture

The exciting part is that this is no longer purely theoretical.
Indian cement companies are already investing in many of the capabilities required for such a model.
Ambuja Cements, for example, reports a multimodal logistics network covering road, rail and sea, real-time source matching, AI-enabled fleet management, network optimisation and a central Cement Intelligent Network Operations Centre. Its FY2025-26 reporting describes real-time order routing and cost-based source selection, alongside a growing network of terminals and GPS-enabled trucks.
Indian Railways is also changing the physical economics of cement distribution. Its November 2025 reforms introduced rationalised charging for bulk cement in specialised containers and a policy for bulk cement terminals, explicitly targeting seamless door-to-door logistics. By February 2026, the Railways reported strong industry interest and a further reduction in the GTKM charge to 85 paise per tonne-kilometre, with CONCOR facilitating silo infrastructure.
These developments matter because dynamic pricing cannot exist in isolation. It requires
options. If every order has to move by the same road network from the same plant, there is limited scope for network optimisation.
But if the system can choose between multiple plants, road corridors, rail rakes, tank containers, coastal vessels and terminals, the network starts behaving like an economic portfolio. Every tonne has alternatives. And alternatives create the possibility of optimisation.

China: Scale creates the network advantage
China offers another important lesson.
Its enormous cement industry has developed around a much broader logistics ecosystem, including extensive inland waterways and digitally enabled logistics platforms. Companies such as Anhui Conch have developed digital platforms supporting waterborne logistics and online tendering, illustrating how
physical logistics and digital market mechanisms can increasingly interact.
The Chinese lesson for India goes beyond ‘use more waterways.’
It is that the value of a transport mode depends on the ecosystem surrounding it—terminals, silos, vessels, digital visibility, scheduling, customer density and network connectivity. Once those components are connected, logistics stops being a series of individual movements and becomes a network that can be continuously optimised. That is exactly what revenue management requires.

Moving toward the digital foundation
The global industry is also building the technology layer.
Holcim’s Transport Analytics Centre operates across 50 markets, covering around 1.4 billion kilometres of routes annually and tracking more than 60,000 trucks. Its newer AI initiatives go further:
Holcim Foresight combines demand and inventory forecasting with fleet and network utilisation, while optimisation engines can simulate alternative network configurations considering demand, transport capacity, cost and emissions.
The significance is not simply that AI can find a cheaper route. It is that the system can increasingly understand the economic consequences of different network decisions. That is the bridge between logistics optimisation and revenue management.

The missing link is commercial integration
The greatest barrier may therefore not be technology. It may be organisational thinking.
Today, sales often determine the price, supply chain determines the source and logistics determines the movement. Each function optimises its own part of the equation. The future requires these decisions to converge.
Imagine a customer placing an order. Before the price is confirmed, an intelligent network engine evaluates: current and forecast demand, plant availability, inventory position, production constraints, truck availability, rail and coastal capacity, terminal utilisation, delivery urgency, customer value, competitive pricing, expected future demand and the opportunity cost of consuming network capacity.
The system then recommends not just how
to fulfil the order, but whether the order should be accepted at that price. That is a fundamentally different commercial model.

From network operations to revenue management
The next logical step may therefore be the emergence of a new organisational capability: Revenue and Network Management.
Its mandate would sit between sales, supply chain and logistics.
Its questions would be simple, but transformational:
Where should the next tonne go? When should it go? Which plant should produce or supply it? Which mode should carry it? Which customer creates the greatest network value? And what is the right price for that opportunity?
The objective would not be to maximise the price of every tonne.
It would be to maximise the contribution of the entire network. That distinction is critical.
A lower-priced order can be more profitable if it utilises otherwise stranded capacity. A high-priced order can destroy value if it consumes scarce capacity that has a better alternative. A customer willing to accept flexible delivery could become more valuable than one demanding immediate delivery—even at the same nominal price.
This is precisely the kind of decision-making that modern optimisation and AI can make at scale.

The new competitive advantage
The cement industry has spent decades becoming better at manufacturing. It has progressively optimised kilns, grinding units, energy consumption, capacity utilisation and product formulations.
The next frontier may be different. It may be
the ability to optimise every tonne after it leaves
the production system and ultimately before it is even produced.
The companies that succeed will not necessarily be those with the cheapest individual freight movement. They will be those capable of seeing the entire network in real time and understanding the economic value of every available option.
The future cement supply chain could therefore move through three stages. First, logistics optimisation: move cement at the lowest cost. Second, end-to-end network optimisation: decide the best plant, inventory position, mode, terminal and route. Third, network revenue management: dynamically decide which demand to serve, through which network configuration, at what time and at what price. That is the real meaning of moving from plant to project.

About the author:
Professor Procyon Mukherjee, ex-CPO Lafarge-Holcim India, ex-President Hindalco, ex-VP Supply Chain Novelis Europe, has been an industry leader in logistics, procurement, operations and supply chain management. His career spans 38 years starting from Philips, Alcan Inc (Indian Aluminum Company), Hindalco, Novelis and Holcim. He authored the book, ‘The Search for Value in Supply Chains’. He serves now as Visiting Professor in SP Jain Global, SIOM and as the Adjunct Professor at SBUP. He advises leading Global Firms including Consulting firms on SCM and Industrial Leadership and is a subject matter expert in aluminium and cement.

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ABB Extends Drive Lifespan at ACC Cement Plant Without Production Shutdown

Published

3 hours ago

November 12, 2026

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ABB reconditions 25 drives at ACC’s Jamul cement plant, avoiding 16 tonnes of CO₂ emissions while improving reliability through predictive maintenance.
Chhattisgarh

ABB has signed a multi-year Motion OneCare service agreement with ACC Limited, part of the Adani Group, to modernise ageing industrial drives at its Jamul cement plant in Chhattisgarh, improving operational reliability while avoiding approximately 16 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions without disrupting production.

Announced on 27 October 2026, the agreement combines scheduled drive reconditioning, digital condition monitoring and energy appraisals to extend equipment lifespan, improve plant uptime and optimise maintenance costs. The initiative marks a shift from conventional equipment replacement towards a more resource-efficient approach to industrial asset management.

The first phase, completed in April 2026, involved the on-site reconditioning of 25 ABB ACS800 variable speed drives without a major plant shutdown. By retaining the existing cabinets and restoring the drive modules rather than replacing entire panels, ABB helped ACC preserve capital investment, minimise material consumption and avoid approximately 16 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.

A second phase, covering an additional 25 ACS800 drive modules, is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026. The programme is designed to improve long-term equipment reliability while allowing maintenance activities to be aligned with the plant’s operational schedules.

The ACS800 drives, installed at Jamul in 2010, had delivered more than a decade of near-continuous service in demanding cement manufacturing conditions. However, ageing electrical components and changing fault patterns had begun to affect their ability to meet the plant’s reliability requirements.

Rather than opting for complete equipment replacement, ACC engaged ABB’s certified engineers to conduct a comprehensive asset health assessment. The evaluation found that the existing cabinets and enclosures remained structurally sound, making targeted reconditioning a technically viable and cost-effective alternative to full replacement.

Drawing on nearly two decades of experience with ACC’s equipment and operating requirements, ABB developed a maintenance framework tailored to the plant’s shutdown windows, budget cycles and production priorities.

The Motion OneCare agreement incorporates planned equipment restoration, condition-based monitoring and energy assessments, enabling ACC to adopt a more systematic approach to maintaining critical electrical infrastructure.

As part of the programme, ACC has implemented ABB Ability™ Digital Powertrain Insights to monitor drive performance and identify emerging operational issues before they result in equipment failures.

The digital platform provides continuous visibility into parameters such as temperature, current, vibration and fault patterns. These insights allow maintenance teams to detect early signs of equipment deterioration, schedule interventions more effectively and reduce the likelihood of unexpected downtime.

Amit Gupta, Local Division Manager, Motion Services, ABB India, said: “We know what unchecked wear costs over time: a small inefficiency that eats away at ROI for years. At Jamul, the evidence pointed clearly to assets with productive life still in them.”

“Our job was to restore them properly and give the team the tools to stay ahead of the next problem. At ABB, we don’t just fix what fails. We want to protect what works.”

The initiative also demonstrates the growing relevance of circular economy principles in cement manufacturing, where extending the service life of existing industrial equipment can reduce capital expenditure, material consumption and the environmental impact associated with manufacturing replacement components.

According to ABB, drive reconditioning can reduce lifecycle emissions by 50 to 80 per cent compared with complete equipment replacement. By preserving functional components and restoring critical modules, the process helps retain the economic and material value of existing industrial assets.

The addition of energy appraisals in subsequent phases will further expand the programme beyond equipment restoration, enabling ACC to assess drive performance, identify energy-saving opportunities and improve operating efficiency.

For cement manufacturers, variable speed drives play an important role in controlling motors and optimising energy consumption across production processes. Maintaining their reliability and efficiency is essential for minimising operational disruptions and managing electricity costs.

Vinod Bahety, CEO – Cement Business, Adani Group, said: “Moving from reactive firefighting to a structured maintenance plan was exactly what this operation needed. That kind of peace of mind doesn’t come easily. It comes from a partner that understands how your business runs.”

“We didn’t need a full system overhaul; we needed expert support, actionable insights, and a plan we could execute around our schedule. That’s what we got.”

The project supports ACC’s broader strategy to improve manufacturing efficiency through digital transformation, preventive maintenance and sustainable asset management.

ACC, a subsidiary of Ambuja Cements and part of the Adani Group, operates 20 cement manufacturing facilities and 119 ready-mix concrete plants across India. The company has been advancing initiatives focused on renewable energy, circular economy practices and technology-driven operational improvements.

Alongside Ambuja Cements, ACC is part of a large-scale building materials business committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, with near-term and net-zero targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

The Jamul initiative aligns with these sustainability objectives by demonstrating how equipment life extension and digital monitoring can contribute to resource efficiency without requiring large-scale replacement of existing infrastructure.

ABB, a global technology company specialising in electrification and automation, brings more than 140 years of industrial expertise and employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide. Its Motion Services business supports industrial customers through equipment maintenance, modernisation, digital monitoring and lifecycle management solutions.

The agreement also reflects a wider shift in industrial maintenance practices, with manufacturers increasingly adopting predictive technologies to improve equipment availability, manage costs and reduce unplanned shutdowns.

With 25 drives already reconditioned and another 25 scheduled for restoration, ABB’s collaboration with ACC illustrates how targeted modernisation, digital monitoring and circular maintenance practices can extend the operational life of critical equipment while supporting more efficient and sustainable cement production.

Concrete

ABB Drives Digital Transformation at TCI MAX Cement Plant in J&K

Published

3 hours ago

November 12, 2026

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ABB deploys advanced process control at TCI MAX’s Srinagar cement plant to improve clinker quality, energy efficiency and sustainable manufacturing.

Kashmir

ABB has deployed its advanced process control technology at TCI MAX Cement’s Srinagar facility in Jammu and Kashmir, marking the region’s first reported implementation of advanced process control (APC) in cement manufacturing and strengthening efforts towards more efficient, digitally enabled production.

Announced on 5 November 2026, the deployment of ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer at the facility, operated by Trumboo Industries Pvt. Ltd., aims to improve process stability, clinker quality, energy efficiency and overall plant productivity. The implementation forms part of TCI MAX’s strategy to modernise its manufacturing operations through automation and digital technologies.

Following the integration of ABB’s advanced process control solution and supporting IT infrastructure, TCI MAX has reported improvements in operational productivity, product quality and sustainability-related performance indicators. The technology focuses on optimising the cement pyro process, a critical stage of production involving high-temperature processing and clinker formation.

Waseem Ahmed Trumboo, Director, Trumboo Industries Pvt. Ltd., said: “Introducing advanced process control at TCI MAX is an important step in how we are evolving our operations. Our focus is on improving the stability and efficiency of our processes while maintaining consistent clinker quality. We have been encouraged by the performance of the solution during commissioning and by the support from the ABB team, and we look forward to realizing its full potential.”

ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer combines advanced process control, model predictive control (MPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) to continuously monitor and optimise manufacturing operations. By analysing process conditions, predicting operational behaviour and automatically adjusting key parameters, the system enables more consistent production while reducing process variability.

In cement manufacturing, maintaining stable pyro-processing conditions is essential for achieving uniform clinker quality and optimising thermal energy consumption. Fluctuations in operating parameters can affect fuel efficiency, production output and product consistency.

The deployment is designed to address these challenges through real-time process optimisation, helping operators maintain more stable kiln operations while improving the utilisation of fuel, electricity and raw materials.

Kapil Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Local Division Manager, Process Industries Division, ABB India, said: “Cement producers are increasingly looking to adopt digital technologies to achieve greater consistency and efficiency while addressing their sustainability priorities. ABB Ability™ Expert Optimizer brings advanced process control and deep cement process expertise together to help operators make their processes more stable and efficient. We are pleased to support TCI MAX as it takes this important step in its digital transformation.”

The technology also supports sustainability objectives by optimising fuel consumption, improving electrical energy efficiency and minimising process waste. More stable operations can contribute to lower energy intensity and reduced emissions associated with cement production.

For TCI MAX, the investment represents a move towards data-driven manufacturing, where automated control systems complement operator expertise to improve production performance and operational reliability.

The implementation is particularly significant for Jammu and Kashmir’s cement industry, as it introduces advanced process optimisation technology to a regional manufacturing facility. Its deployment could demonstrate the potential for wider adoption of digital automation across cement plants seeking to modernise their operations.

The project builds on ABB’s experience in delivering advanced process control solutions to cement manufacturers worldwide. Through the integration of industrial automation, predictive technologies and process engineering expertise, the company supports manufacturers in improving resource efficiency and maintaining consistent production quality.

As cement producers face increasing pressure to manage energy costs, improve productivity and reduce their environmental footprint, technologies such as AI-enabled process control and predictive optimisation are becoming important components of plant modernisation strategies.

ABB’s Expert Optimizer provides a platform for addressing these priorities by enabling automated adjustments based on changing process conditions, reducing reliance on manual intervention and supporting more efficient plant operation.

ABB, a global technology company specialising in electrification and automation, has more than 140 years of industrial experience and approximately 110,000 employees worldwide. Its Automation business employs around 26,000 people and provides technologies and services across process, hybrid and maritime industries.

The TCI MAX deployment reinforces ABB’s growing role in the digital transformation of cement manufacturing in India, where improving process efficiency and reducing energy consumption remain critical to the industry’s long-term sustainability.

With the advanced process control system now implemented at its Srinagar facility, TCI MAX aims to build on the initial operational improvements and further optimise production efficiency, clinker consistency and environmental performance.

Concrete

Ramco Cements’ Hard Worker Wins Eight Awards at ‘Love of Advertising Awards 2026’

Published

4 hours ago

November 12, 2026

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Ramco Cements’ Hard Worker brand wins eight awards for excellence in advertising, packaging and brand identity at the Love of Advertising Awards 2026.

Hyderabad

The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has secured eight awards at the Love of Advertising Awards 2026, recognising its creative excellence across television, digital advertising, packaging design and brand identity.

Organised by the Advertising Club of Trivandrum, the awards were presented at a ceremony held at The Leela Raviz, Kovalam, on 24 October 2026. The recognition highlights Hard Worker’s integrated marketing strategy and its efforts to establish a distinctive presence in India’s competitive construction chemicals market.

The eight awards span multiple creative categories, reflecting the brand’s approach to combining product-focused communication with engaging storytelling, humour and innovative design. Through its campaigns, Hard Worker has sought to simplify technical product benefits and make construction chemicals more accessible and relatable to consumers and construction professionals.

Built around the philosophy of “Hard-working products for hardworking people”, the brand focuses on communicating practical product advantages through memorable advertising narratives while maintaining a consistent identity across different marketing platforms.

Its campaigns for Ramco Hard Worker Eco Plaster and Tile Fix have been central to this approach. The Eco Plaster campaign highlights water conservation through the product’s self-curing properties, positioning it as a solution that supports more efficient construction practices. Meanwhile, Tile Fix promotes specialised tile-fixing solutions by presenting their practical benefits through relatable situations and creative storytelling.

Beyond advertising, Hard Worker has invested in distinctive packaging and brand identity development to improve product recognition and maintain consistency across customer touchpoints. This integrated approach has helped the brand differentiate itself in a category where marketing communication has traditionally focused on technical specifications and functional performance.

A V Dharmakrishnan, CEO, Ramco Cements, said, “Winning eight awards at the Love of Advertising Awards is a proud moment for Ramco Cements and the Hard Worker team. We believe that building a strong brand requires not only quality products but also the ability to communicate their value in a compelling and differentiated manner. Hard Worker’s journey reflects our commitment to combining product performance with innovative marketing to create meaningful connections with our customers and strengthen our presence in the construction chemicals market.”

The recognition comes as building materials manufacturers increasingly focus on brand differentiation, product awareness and customer engagement to strengthen their position in the construction chemicals segment.

By using humour and storytelling to explain product applications and benefits, Hard Worker aims to bridge the communication gap between technical construction solutions and the practical requirements of contractors, applicators and end-users.

Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements, said, “Hard Worker was conceived to bring a fresh perspective to the construction chemicals category, where product communication has traditionally been functional and technical. Our endeavour has been to break through the clutter with distinctive ideas, humour and storytelling, while keeping the product proposition at the heart of every campaign. The recognition across TV and digital advertising, packaging design and brand identity design demonstrates our integrated approach to building the brand. These eight awards are an encouraging recognition of the creative thinking and collaborative effort behind Hard Worker’s marketing initiatives.”

The awards add to Hard Worker’s growing portfolio of creative recognitions and reinforce Ramco Cements’ emphasis on integrating product innovation with strategic marketing.

The brand’s communication initiatives also reflect a wider shift in the construction materials industry, where manufacturers are increasingly adopting consumer-focused marketing strategies to improve product understanding and strengthen relationships with construction professionals.

With its portfolio of construction chemicals, Hard Worker aims to address evolving requirements for durability, application efficiency and construction quality. Its marketing efforts seek to complement these product attributes by building stronger awareness and encouraging the adoption of specialised construction solutions.

Ramco Cements, one of India’s established cement manufacturers, operates across cement and allied building solutions. Through Hard Worker, the company is expanding its presence in the construction chemicals segment with products designed to enhance performance, quality and durability in modern construction applications.

The latest recognition strengthens Hard Worker’s brand visibility and underscores the growing importance of creative communication in promoting technical building materials. Ramco Cements intends to continue combining product development with distinctive marketing initiatives to support the brand’s growth in India’s construction chemicals market.