Economy & Market

The sector will double business next year

Published

9 years ago

December 30, 2017

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Ashok Mohanani, Chairman and Managing Director, Ekta World, says individuals want safer and more comfortable places to live, and the price needs to be affordable.How successful is the ‘Housing for all by 2022’ programme? What are the opportunities specifically to your group?
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) was started with the purpose of constructing around two crore houses for the EWS & LIG group by 2022 at the rate of 30 lakh houses per year has yet to pick pace. The scheme has been impacted due to central governments major policies such as RERA and GST. Currently, the market is sluggish but can see upward growth in next quarter and the year 2018 will be for the real estate sector. Affordable housing and Housing for all is the game changer in the real estate and the sector will double business by next year.
With infrastructure status being awarded to affordable housing, it has opened various opportunities to the developers in the real estate sector. The government has presented a much-required push for the Indian real estate segment through various policy implementations. The infrastructural developments and affordable housing policies by the current government will prove beneficial for both the homebuyers and developers.How is it likely to benefit the cement sector? Do you think cement consumption will increase because of this? If yes, by what percentage and quantity?
The "Housing for All" will not only boost real estate sector but also make others sectors to grow as well. Cement is a vital building material, which keeps a structure intact. The construction industry will see huge need of iron, cement, labour, etc. in the coming years, which will add on to the country’s economy. This need will not only benefit cement sector but also the other sectors. India produces around 350 million tonnes of cement annually and is expected to put 550 million tonne by financial year 2020. The demand for cement is steadily on the escalating owing to rapid urbanisation and construction activities. Furthermore, the government’s infrastructure development, Smart Cities Mission and ‘Housing for All’ initiative will further accelerate the growth of the cement industry.What kind of incentives are provided by the government so that more and more developers participate in the segment of affordable housing?
This year’s financial budget has proposed infrastructure status for affordable housing, a long-standing demand of developers, and also increased the allocation for the PMAY from Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 23,000 crore, bringing the country closer to realising the ‘Housing for All’ mission by 2022. The promoters of affordable housing scheme are getting profit-linked income tax exemption, which has received a favourable response. To brand this scheme more striking and to ensure homebuyers got value for their money, carpet area of 30 and 60 sq m would be counted instead of the built-up area.
Which states are progressing well and providing opportunities for affordable housing? How important is the government decision for public private partnership (PPP) in this space and how it is likely to benefit the affordable housing sector?
If the government is planning to construct 20 million houses in the next five years, then it has to approximately build 2.5 million houses each year. Currently, the progress of this scheme has been slow due to host of factors including demonetization, RERA and GST. The states that have comparatively progressed well in the country are Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, etc. The decision to introduce PPP was to push affordable housing. There are around eight PPP options available for the private sector to invest in affordable housing segment. This has opened potential for private investments in affordable housing segment on government lands in urban areas. The private sector so far was pushing itself back from entering in affordable housing segment despite huge scope under PMAY and this has put an eco-system in place through which the developers will receive several concessions and incentives offered as per PMAY norms. Affordable housing requires fast pace work completion. In this situation do we see inclusion of new technologies? What are these?
Rapid growth in population is resulting in a serious demand for new infrastructure in India;housing being a basic requirement, needs focused attention and quicker ways and means of delivery. Individuals want safer and more comfortable places to live, and the price needs to be affordable. Indian property developers are adopting international strategies like pre-fabricated construction, dry-wall techniques, and slip-form construction and Mivan shuttering for quick development, there’s a need to cut back the value of procurement of recent technological instruments and alternative products and materials. Value engineering and rationalisation of the over head costs can facilitate the sector vastly in bringing down the value of affordable housing units.What are the factors driving affordable housing in India? How do you think has been the responses of private sector to the scheme? What further changes you desire to have?
Online tools for time-bound approvals for building plans and construction permits has already been introduced in Mumbai and Delhi and the same would happen shortly in addition 53 cities. The government’s recent announcement of PPP policy to push investment in affordable housing by giving incentives to private developers augers well with its mission to provide "Housing for all 2022",furthermore, it has opened potential private investments in affordable housing projects on government lands in urban areas. This policy seeks to assign possibilities among the government, developers and financial institutions, to people who can manage them the best besides leveraging under-utilized and un-utilized private and public lands towards meeting the target of Housing for All.– RAHUL KAMAT

Concrete

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

Published

1 day 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

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 weeks ago

October 9, 2026

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Singh brings 20+ years of brand and marketing experience, and will lead integrated corporate brand communication initiatives at Wonder Cement

New Delhi

Wonder Cement, a leading cement manufacturer, has appointed Mahesh Singh as Vice President – Corporate Brand Communication. In his new role, he will oversee corporate brand strategy and communication, including digital and performance marketing, public relations, trade, events, exhibitions, sports and experiential marketing.

Singh brings over two decades of experience across marketing and communications, with roles spanning the automotive industry, agencies and entrepreneurship. He spent more than a decade with Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, working across integrated communication, media, digital, retail and consumer engagement. His stint also included helping build the company’s digital marketing capabilities.

He moved to dentsu X India as Vice President – Strategy & Planning, working across categories such as automotive, auto components, electric vehicles, FMCG, consumer electronics, BFSI, apparel and brand consulting. His responsibilities included media and marketing strategy, product launches, content, performance marketing and consumer activations.

Singh subsequently took an entrepreneurial route with Radiant Brands before joining Shriram Ltd (SPR Autotech) as Head – Marketing & Communications. There, his remit included brand and corporate strategy, communications, PR and ORM, retail identity, loyalty programmes and events.

At Wonder Cement, Singh will be responsible for bringing together the company’s corporate brand communication initiatives across digital, performance marketing, PR, trade, sports and experiential platforms. The role will focus on creating an integrated approach to communication across consumers, trade partners and other key stakeholders.

The appointment brings to Wonder Cement a marketer whose career has spanned the brand, agency and entrepreneurial sides of the communications ecosystem.

Wonder Cement, part of the RK Group, is a cement manufacturer with roots in Rajasthan and a focus on quality, trust and transparency. The company has grown to six manufacturing plants, and a cement capacity of 21.5 MTPA. With more than 2,000 employees and a network of over 5,000 dealers, its operations span manufacturing, distribution and customer engagement, with a focus on consistent product quality and efficient execution.

Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

Published

2 weeks ago

October 8, 2026

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With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA,
Mumbai

JSW Cement, one of India’s leading green cement producers and part of the diversified JSW Group, today announced the successful commissioning of an additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit at Nagaur, Rajasthan. The commissioning marks another significant milestone in the Company’s growth strategy.

With this commissioning, JSW Cement’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 25.10 MTPA, while its total clinker manufacturing capacity, including clinker capacity at its joint venture, JSW Cement FZC, stands at 9.74 MTPA.

JSW Cement had commenced operations in North India in March 2026 with the Nagaur Integrated Plant, comprising a 3.30 MTPA clinkerisation unit and 2.50 MTPA cement grinding unit. With the commissioning of the additional 1.00 MTPA cement grinding unit, the plant’s total cement grinding capacity has increased to 3.50 MTPA, enhancing the company’s ability to cater to the growing cement demand across Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the National Capital Region (NCR). The expansion has been funded through a strategic mix of equity and long-term debt.

During the quarter ended 30th September 2026, JSW Cement has also commissioned the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) at the Nagaur Integrated Plant.

Nilesh Narwekar, CEO, JSW Cement, said: “The commissioning of additional 1.00 MTPA grinding capacity at Nagaur is a key strategic priority for us and will accelerate JSW Cement’s expansion into North India. We look forward to servicing the growing needs of the region and contributing to the economic growth of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the NCR area. I am delighted to share that the company has commissioned this grinding unit within the expected timeline, showcasing our project execution capabilities. Further, the Alternate Fuel Handling System and the Waste Heat Recovery system (WHRS) are expected to substantially reduce our production costs going forward.”