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The Future of Blended Cements

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The National Council for Cement and Building Materials organised a symposium on Blended Cements for Sustainable Development on 24 January 2017 at Hyderabad.

The symposium held by the National Council for Cement and Building Materials on 24 January 2017 at Hotel Radisson, Hyderabad was attended by more than 100 delegates from the cement industry and construction sector, research institutes, government agencies and machinery manufacturers. Welcoming the delegates, KV Kalyani, Joint Director and Unit In-charge, NCB-Hyderabad, said that the aim of the symposium was to create increased awareness and promote use of blended cements in the country for sustainable development and reducing the carbon footprint.

The symposium was inaugurated by A Pahuja, Director General of NCB. He presented an overview of the Indian cement industry and the importance of blended cements for sustainable development. He highlighted how tailor-made properties could be achieved with blended cements by controlling particle size distributions, separate grinding of each constituent and blending, use of chemical admixtures, etc. Pahuja also pointed out that the use of blended cements in concrete results in enhanced durable properties of concrete in terms of carbonation, chloride induced corrosion, sulphate resistance, etc. He felt that there was a need for conducting further research on blended cements and assured that NCB would continue its research activities in various areas including Portland Limestone Cement (PLC), fly ash based geo-polymeric cements, high-volume fly ash cements, etc., for sustainable development.

VS Narang, Director-Tech of My Home Cement Ltd delivered the keynote address, discussing various aspects of blended cements and their role in sustainable development of the cement and construction industry. He acknowledged the efforts of NCB in conducting research and promoting the use of blended cements in India. He emphasised the importance of using more supplementary cementitious materials, maximising recycling and reuse of materials in conserving natural resources and also in mitigating CO2 emissions from the industry.

Sustainable Products
Durability properties of concrete such as ASR, sulphate attack and carbonation, etc., can be improved by using blended cements which make the concrete less permeable due to formation of denser microstructure. Narang also mentioned the key levers identified in the Indian Technology Road Map for Indian Cement Sector jointly developed by NCB and CII, and discussed their importance in developing more sustainable products. He stated that commercialisation of the product is as important as development of technology, and said that My Home Industries was the first in India to launch composite cement.

The symposium had three technical sessions devoted to chemistry and quality of blended cements; their manufacture and performance and durability aspects of blended cements.

The first session was chaired by A Narender Reddy, Chief Engineer, Telangana Irrigation Department and was co-chaired by

ped to have more such events in the future.

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ARAPL Reports 175% EBITDA Growth, Expands Global Robotics Footprint

Affordable Robotic & Automation posts strong Q2 and H1 FY26 results driven by innovation and overseas orders

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Affordable Robotic & Automation Limited (ARAPL), India’s first listed robotics firm and a pioneer in industrial automation and smart robotic solutions, has reported robust financial results for the second quarter and half year ended September 30, 2025.
The company achieved a 175 per cent year-on-year rise in standalone EBITDA and strong revenue growth across its automation and robotics segments. The Board of Directors approved the unaudited financial results on October 10, 2025.

Key Highlights – Q2 FY2026
• Strong momentum across core automation and robotics divisions
• Secured the first order for the Atlas AC2000, an autonomous truck loading and unloading forklift, from a leading US logistics player
• Rebranded its RaaS product line as Humro (Human + Robot), symbolising collaborative automation between people and machines
• Expanded its Humro range in global warehouse automation markets
• Continued investment in deep-tech innovations, including AI-based route optimisation, autonomy kits, vehicle controllers, and digital twins
Global Milestone: First Atlas AC2000 Order in the US

ARAPL’s US-based subsidiary, ARAPL RaaS (Humro), received its first order for the next-generation Atlas AC2000 autonomous forklift from a leading logistics company. Following successful prototype trials, the client placed an order for two robots valued at Rs 36 million under a three-year lease. The project opens opportunities for scaling up to 15–16 robots per site across 15 US warehouses within two years.
The product addresses an untapped market of 10 million loading docks across 21,000 warehouses in the US, positioning ARAPL for exponential growth.

Financial Performance – Q2 FY2026 (Standalone)
Net Revenue: Rs 25.7587 million, up 37 per cent quarter-on-quarter
EBITDA: Rs 5.9632 million, up 396 per cent QoQ
Profit Before Tax: Rs 4.3808 million, compared to a Rs 360.46 lakh loss in Q1
Profit After Tax: Rs 4.1854 lakh, representing 216 per cent QoQ growth
On a half-year basis, ARAPL reported a 175 per cent rise in EBITDA and returned to profitability with Rs 58.08 lakh PAT, highlighting strong operational efficiency and improved contribution from core businesses.
Consolidated Performance – Q2 FY2026
Net Revenue: Rs 29.566 million, up 57% QoQ
EBITDA: Rs 6.2608 million, up 418 per cent QoQ
Profit After Tax: Rs 4.5672 million, marking a 224 per cent QoQ improvement

Milind Padole, Managing Director, ARAPL said, “Our Q2 results reflect the success of our innovation-led growth strategy and the growing global confidence in ARAPL’s technology. The Atlas AC2000 order marks a defining milestone that validates our engineering strength and accelerates our global expansion. With a healthy order book and continued investment in AI and autonomous systems, ARAPL is positioned to lead the next phase of intelligent industrial transformation.”
Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Pune, Affordable Robotic & Automation Ltd (ARAPL) delivers turnkey robotic and automation solutions across automotive, general manufacturing, and government sectors. Its offerings include robotic welding, automated inspection, assembly automation, automated parking systems, and autonomous driverless forklifts.
ARAPL operates five advanced plants in Pune spanning 350,000 sq ft, supported by over 400 engineers in India and seven team members in the US. The company also maintains facilities in North Carolina and California, and service centres in Faridabad, Mumbai, and San Francisco.

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M.E. Energy Bags Rs 490 Mn Order for Waste Heat Recovery Project

Second major EPC contract from Ferro Alloys sector strengthens company’s growth

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M.E. Energy Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kilburn Engineering Ltd and a leading Indian engineering company specialising in energy recovery and cost reduction, has secured its second consecutive major order worth Rs 490 million in the Ferro Alloys sector. The order covers the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of a 12 MW Waste Heat Recovery Based Power Plant (WHRPP).

This repeat order underscores the Ferro Alloys industry’s confidence in M.E. Energy’s expertise in delivering efficient and sustainable energy solutions for high-temperature process industries. The project aims to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions by converting waste heat into clean power.

“Securing another project in the Ferro Alloys segment reinforces our strong technical credibility. It’s a proud moment as we continue helping our clients achieve sustainability and cost efficiency through innovative waste heat recovery systems,” said K. Vijaysanker Kartha, Managing Director, M.E. Energy Pvt Ltd.

“M.E. Energy’s expansion into sectors such as cement and ferro alloys is yielding solid results. We remain confident of sustained success as we deepen our presence in steel and carbon black industries. These achievements reaffirm our focus on innovation, technology, and energy efficiency,” added Amritanshu Khaitan, Director, Kilburn Engineering Ltd

With this latest order, M.E. Energy has already surpassed its total external order bookings from the previous financial year, recording Rs 138 crore so far in FY26. The company anticipates further growth in the second half, supported by a robust project pipeline and the rising adoption of waste heat recovery technologies across industries.

The development marks continued momentum towards FY27, strengthening M.E. Energy’s position as a leading player in industrial energy optimisation.

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NTPC Green Energy Partners with Japan’s ENEOS for Green Fuel Exports

NGEL signs MoU with ENEOS to supply green methanol and hydrogen derivatives

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NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Japan’s ENEOS Corporation to explore a potential agreement for the supply of green methanol and hydrogen derivative products.

The MoU was exchanged on 10 October 2025 during the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan. It marks a major step towards global collaboration in clean energy and decarbonisation.
The partnership centres on NGEL’s upcoming Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Andhra Pradesh. Spread across 1,200 acres, the integrated facility is being developed for large-scale green chemical production and exports.

By aligning ENEOS’s demand for hydrogen derivatives with NGEL’s renewable energy initiatives, the collaboration aims to accelerate low-carbon energy transitions. It also supports NGEL’s target of achieving a 60 GW renewable energy portfolio by 2032, reinforcing its commitment to India’s green energy ambitions and the global net-zero agenda.

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