Economy & Market

Manpower Development for Indian Cement Industry

Published

7 years ago

October 31, 2018

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Indian cement industry is among the best in the world when it comes to energy efficiency. However, specialised training is essential to face and overcome certain unique challenges of the Indian cement industry.

The Indian cement industry is poised for a big growth considering the various infrastructural developments planned by the Government of India and the demand for housing all over the country. The Government of India has planned to invest Rs 5.94 lakh crore in the infrastructural sector with an additional allocation of Rs 2.04 crore for smart cities in the Union Budget of 2017-18. GST, demonetisation and some other factors have affected the growth of the industry temporarily but things are expected to stabilise soon. The Central Government has an ambitious plan to provide housing for all citizens by 2022. Increased allocation to rural housing under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna-Gramin scheme and developing smart cities will boost demand. Additional efforts in development of ports under "Sagarmala" and nation-wide road network development under "Bharatmala" will give impetus to cement demand. Nine new airports are on the anvil.

From the chart (next page) it is pertinent that housing sector will play a major role in boosting growth of Indian cement industry. The consumption of cement in agricultural sector is negligible today but as announced in the union budget of 2017-18, this sector is being given due importance.This will contribute to a substantial demand for cement for building warehouses and other logistics in the rural sector. International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its latest update has forecasted a GDP growth of 7.4 per cent next year. If all goes well CLSA expects a volume growth in new home construction to a compounded annual growth rate to about 8 per cent over the next seven years. Cement is a cyclical commodity with good correlation with GDP. With the projected GDP growth of 7.5 to 8.0 per cent in the next few years, cement demand will also increase. The present installed capacity of cement manufacturing is around 435 MT/year. It is estimated that India would need 550 to 600 MT/ annum by 2025. This means an additional capacity of 100 to 150 MTs/ annum need to be installed by 2025. In spite of being the second largest cement producer in the world the per capita consumption in India is only 225 kg, which is much lower than the world average of 500 kg and far behind China where it is more than 1,000 kg. These figures indicate that India has a long way to go to be called a developed nation. However Indian economy is the fifth largest economy as of now and is expected to become third largest very soon. This gives the possibility of huge expansion of the Indian cement industry.

Future technical manpower requirement
Getting skilled manpower for the industry is a challenge. There is a big gap between availability and demand. With the anticipated addition of another 150 MT/annum by 2025, it is estimated that the cement industry will require around 66,000 skilled technical manpower for greenfield projects, brownfield expansion and captive power plant operations.

Need for specialised manpower
Indian cement industry is among the best in the world when it comes to energy efficiency. However specialised training is essential to face and overcome certain unique challenges of the Indian cement industry. The major ones are listed as follows:

Depletion of high-grade limestone. We need to add more capacity with marginal and sub marginal grades of limestone. Also depletion of good quality mineral gypsum and finding large volumes of alternative material is also concerning.
Non availability of good quality cheaper fuel. The plants have to balance their fuel cost without diluting product quality. A rapid stride has to be taken to use alternate fuels and raw materials (AFR). This requires specialised skills.
Further improvements in energy efficiency is necessary by installing WHR systems and retrofitting with energy efficient equipment.
Compliances with stricter environmental and safety norms.
Implementing innovative ideas and methods to keep production cost low in view of the ever increasing cost of inputs like raw materials, fuels, logistics, taxes, etc.

There is shortage of skilled manpower in the industry who can handle such burning issues. There is hue and cry in the country saying that people are not getting employment. On the other hand the manufacturers complain that they do not get the rightly skilled manpower. There is a serious gap between what is wanted and what is available. To address all these issues it is necessary to:

Design training programmes which are practical in nature and completely wedded to the requirement of the construction industry. In this respect, a close co-ordination of industry and academics is the need of the hour.
Enhance skills of the semi-skilled workers to enable them to do their jobs in a scientific manner for better quality and productivity
Make a pool of people ready for the future growth of the cement and construction industry

Initiatives taken by organisations
It is worthwhile to mention that the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM) has considerable contribution in this area. They are conducting various programmes to train fresh graduates. They are also regularly conducting short term, customised and contract programmes for improving skills of technical personnel of plants. Few universities and colleges have implemented diploma courses in cement technology but are not doing that well perhaps because their courses are not designed as per industry needs and limitations of cement plant experience in their faculties.With the anticipated rapid growth of the industry all these efforts may not be sufficient.

Initiatives taken by AKS University
Keeping all these requirements in mind it is worthwhile to mention an innovative University called AKS University in Satna, Madhya Pradesh. This university had the foresight of this future demand of India and started conducting degree anddiploma courses in cement technology from the year 2012 after getting UGC approval. The visionary of AKS University is Er Anant Kumar Soni who started this humble journey to impart quality education at affordable price to the rural masses. He sensed long back that being located in a cement hub, it will be a great service to the rural poor if they are trained to take up employment in cement plants in this limestone rich belt of Satna. He vowed to make education affordablewithout any capitation fees. His objective is to raise the level of rural education and bring it at par with urban levels and trainthe poor students for employment.

AKS University is spread over an area of more than 100 acres of land in the Satna town of Madhya Pradesh, adjacent to NH-7. It has developed 4.5 lakh sqft of lecture rooms, workshops, state of the art laboratories, agriculture research farms, incubation center etc. At present the AKS University is offering 52 courses under 12 faculties and more than 7,500 students are enrolled for the session 2017-18.

AKS University credentials Within a short duration of five years, AKS University has been awarded various credentials for its achievements, this are listed below.

Best University in IT infrastructure for the year 2018 awarded by ASSOCHAM.
Best Private Innovative University for the Year 2017.
Excellent Private University in rural sector awarded by ASSOCHAM in 2016
Excellent Private University in Rural sector for the year 2015, awarded by Dr. RS Katheriya, Hon?ble State Higher Education Minister, Ministry of HRD, Govt of India.
Excellent Private University in Madhya Pradesh by CMAI, Madhya Pradesh Technical Excellence Education Summit Bhopal in the year 2014.
Indo Nepal Sadbhavna award in the year 2014 from Govt of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Best University in IT infrastructure for the year 2014 by CCI Technology Excellency Award, Bhopal.

AKS University, in addition to cement technology, offers various Diploma, B. Tech., M. Tech andPh. D programmes in most of the courses. While many private universities are reporting shortfall in the intake of students in the engineering streams, AKS University is experiencing higher intakes especially in the agriculture and mining departments. Mention must be made of the innovative approaches carried out in the mining department which is bringing laurels to the university. Students are sent to present technical papers in internationals seminars. The department organises various seminars in the country where well known persons from the Indian mining industry are felicitated and givenlife time achievement awards. This department has eight professors who are ex general managers from Coal India Limited.

Considerable efforts are taken to ensure good attendance among students as well as professors. The administration ensures that all courses are actually taken and completed in time inclusive of revision classes. Industry academic coordination and networking is given the topmost priority.

Why Cement Technology (CT) from AKS University?

It is the first university in the country offering both Diploma and B.Tech courses in cement technology recognised by MP Board of Technical Education and UGC respectively.
Being an autonomous institution, technical courses are designed and constantly upgraded keeping in view the latest technological developments in Indian cement industry. Frontier areas relevant to Indian cement industry like alternate fuels and raw materials (AFR), waste heat recovery systems (WHR), energy efficiency, composite and geo-polymeric cements, belitic cements, etc. A great thrust is given on concrete technology with emphasis on application aspects. Management aspects like marketing, operations management, safety and environment management etc. from an integral part of the course. Mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, mining, geology, chemical engineering aspects are covered extensively with examples and case studies from Indian cement industry.
Industrial training and doing project work on frontier areas which challenges the Indian cement Industry is compulsory for all students.
Experienced industry faculty is a special feature at AKS and so in CT Department.There is blend of 50 per cent full time professors from industry with more than 35-year experience and remaining 50 per cent comprising of seasoned academicians specialising in chemical, mining, electrical and instrumentation, mechanical engineering, geology etc.Most of them are from IITs, NITs, and other reputed universities.
State of the art infrastructure and laboratories for hands on training and research.
Group discussions, role plays, mock interview sessions, Saturday departmental seminars are regularly conducted to improve the personality aspects of students
Research opportunities including real-time industry projects.
With the approval of Board of Apprenticeship Training (BOAT) Mumbai, the B.Tech students undergo a Sandwich Apprenticeship (in plant training) for 150 days in VIII Semester.
Simulator based training at National Council for Cement and Building Materials(NCCBM), Ballabgarh, Haryana is compulsory in semester VI in B. Tech programme. These full time degree courses have a practical component of 40% and theoretical component of 60 per cent.
AKS University is connected with many cement plants through Cement Manufacturing Association of India (CMA)
AKS University is a "University with difference" where the courses are modified on a regular basis involving industry professionals. Management is deeply inclined to establish strong relationship with industry. Most of the senior staff in Engineering and Technology departments’ are stalwards in their own fields from institutions like ACC, NCCBM, Lafarge, Coal India, Indian Oil etc. Quite a few of them have foreign degrees and one professor in Cement Technology department is a Canadian national. This helps the students to network with professionals of industry right from early stages of their courses.
A good number of students have been placed and are workingwith Star Cement, Sanghi Cement, Amrit Cement, Ultratech Cement, Gorahi Cement(Nepal), Prism cement, KJS cement, etc.

Achievements of AKS University

1.First batch of B.Tech students passed out in 2015
2.More the 50per cent students placed in cement plants
3.Carrying out short term courses (three to six months) for enhancing skills of plant personnel (workers and staff) on cement technology. Completed two programmes for Prism Cement Ltd. Satna and further programmes are in offing.

Negotiation with UltraTech are on to train masons on a regular basis. These masons will be picked out by them.
4.Established a name in imparting high quality training programmes for techno-marketing professionals of cement industry. This is a well established popular training programme highly appreciated by industry.
Application engineering is an area that needs a lot of manpower. Now-a-days, this has emerged as a necessary activity of cement marketing. These engineers are responsible for technical marketing of cement and assist the customers throughout the construction process. They also handle quality complaints. TheAKS three-year diploma course, which is being renamed as diploma in cement and concrete technology, is perhaps the best fit degree for techno marketing personnel in rural areas as they know both sides of the game (cement and concrete ). They can do all the dirty work better as compared to a B.Tech/Diploma in civil engineering.

AKS University has conducted numerous short-term courses for techno marketing professionals for companies like UltraTech, KJS Cement, etc. with grand success. These are residential programmes with certification from Centre of Continuing Education, Department of Cement Technology, AKS University, Satna.

Training scheme
The department can train fresh personnel selected by cement manufacturers and make them industry ready either with the Diploma or B.Tech programme in cement technology which are on campus programmes. Short term customised courses are also feasible.New cement companies who have started their greenfield projects can send their entire team of fresh recruits to AKS so that they get professionally trained by the time the plant is ready for commissioning. Good hostel facilities are available in Satna town. Local people from surroundings of Cement plants located in rural areas have been found to be assets for the industry both in the past and present. These people show lot of dedication and loyalty compared to people from urban areas Moreover creating local employment is also compulsory as part of CSR schemes. AKS University has all the expertise to nurture these poor people from rural areas and make them industry ready.

Summary
With the expected spurt in demand for technical personnel in cement industry, which is imminent, it is worthwhile to have a serious thought on manpower development and skill enhancement of existing manpower. Actions need to be taken right now so that the industry is not starved of skilled personnel. It is worthwhile if cement manufacturers recruit cement technologists who are already trained by institutes like AKS University. Such trained personnel with degree or diploma in cement technology are industry ready and only need to be customised to the working of individual cement manufacturers who recruit them. This will reduce the gestation period to take up independent supervisory and other roles. There are very few institutions in India imparting quality cement technology programmes in India. AKS University, Satna is already in this field for past five years and has matured enough to be a partner to generate competent manpower for the Indian cement industry at affordable cost. Customised short-term courses are also feasible as per requirement of individual cement manufacturers.

About the authors:
Prof KN Bhattacharjee and Prof GC Mishra of Department of Cement Technology AKS University Satna. Prof KN Bhattacharjee is the corresponding author. He can be contacted on: Email: karuna.bhattacharjee3@gmail.com| Mob: 91-9340898824.

Concrete

FORNNAX Appoints Dieter Jerschl as Sales Partner for Central Europe

Published

2 weeks ago

February 5, 2026

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FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY has appointed industry veteran Dieter Jerschl as its new sales partner in Germany to strengthen its presence across Central Europe. The partnership aims to accelerate the adoption of FORNNAX’s high-capacity, sustainable recycling solutions while building long-term regional capabilities.

FORNNAX TECHNOLOGY, one of the leading advanced recycling equipment manufacturers, has announced the appointment of a new sales partner in Germany as part of its strategic expansion into Central Europe. The company has entered into a collaborative agreement with Mr. Dieter Jerschl, a seasoned industry professional with over 20 years of experience in the shredding and recycling sector, to represent and promote FORNNAX’s solutions across key European markets.

Mr. Jerschl brings extensive expertise from his work with renowned companies such as BHS, Eldan, Vecoplan, and others. Over the course of his career, he has successfully led the deployment of both single machines and complete turnkey installations for a wide range of applications, including tyre recycling, cable recycling, municipal solid waste, e-waste, and industrial waste processing.

Speaking about the partnership, Mr. Jerschl said,
“I’ve known FORNNAX for over a decade and have followed their growth closely. What attracted me to this collaboration is their state-of-the-art & high-capacity technology, it is powerful, sustainable, and economically viable. There is great potential to introduce FORNNAX’s innovative systems to more markets across Europe, and I am excited to be part of that journey.”

The partnership will primarily focus on Central Europe, including Germany, Austria, and neighbouring countries, with the flexibility to extend the geographical scope based on project requirements and mutual agreement. The collaboration is structured to evolve over time, with performance-driven expansion and ongoing strategic discussions with FORNNAX’s management. The immediate priority is to build a strong project pipeline and enhance FORNNAX’s brand presence across the region.

FORNNAX’s portfolio of high-performance shredding and pre-processing solutions is well aligned with Europe’s growing demand for sustainable and efficient waste treatment technologies. By partnering with Mr. Jerschl—who brings deep market insight and established industry relationships—FORNNAX aims to accelerate adoption of its solutions and participate in upcoming recycling projects across the region.

As part of the partnership, Mr. Jerschl will also deliver value-added services, including equipment installation, maintenance, and spare parts support through a dedicated technical team. This local service capability is expected to ensure faster project execution, minimise downtime, and enhance overall customer experience.

Commenting on the long-term vision, Mr. Jerschl added,
“We are committed to increasing market awareness and establishing new reference projects across the region. My goal is not only to generate business but to lay the foundation for long-term growth. Ideally, we aim to establish a dedicated FORNNAX legal entity or operational site in Germany over the next five to ten years.”

For FORNNAX, this partnership aligns closely with its global strategy of expanding into key markets through strong regional representation. The company believes that local partnerships are critical for navigating complex market dynamics and delivering solutions tailored to region-specific waste management challenges.

“We see tremendous potential in the Central European market,” said Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Director and CEO of FORNNAX.
“Partnering with someone as experienced and well-established as Mr. Jerschl gives us a strong foothold and allows us to better serve our customers. This marks a major milestone in our efforts to promote reliable, efficient and future-ready recycling solutions globally,” he added.

This collaboration further strengthens FORNNAX’s commitment to environmental stewardship, innovation, and sustainable waste management, supporting the transition toward a greener and more circular future.

Concrete

Budget 2026–27 infra thrust and CCUS outlay to lift cement sector outlook

Published

2 weeks ago

February 2, 2026

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Higher capex, city-led growth and CCUS funding improve demand visibility and decarbonisation prospects for cement

Mumbai

Cement manufacturers have welcomed the Union Budget 2026–27’s strong infrastructure thrust, with public capital expenditure increased to Rs 12.2 trillion, saying it reinforces infrastructure as the central engine of economic growth and strengthens medium-term prospects for the cement sector. In a statement, the Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) has welcomed the Union budget 2026-27 for reinforcing the ambitions for the nation’s growth balancing the aspirations of the people through inclusivity inspired by the vision of Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, for a Viksit Bharat by 2047 and Atmanirbharta.

The budget underscores India’s steady economic trajectory over the past 12 years, marked by fiscal discipline, sustained growth and moderate inflation, and offers strong demand visibility for infrastructure linked sectors such as cement.

The Budget’s strong infrastructure push, with public capital expenditure rising from Rs 11.2 trillion in fiscal year 2025–26 to Rs 12.2 trillion in fiscal year 2026–27, recognises infrastructure as the primary anchor for economic growth creating positive prospects for the Indian cement industry and improving long term visibility for the cement sector. The emphasis on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities with populations above 5 lakh and the creation of City Economic Regions (CERs) with an allocation of Rs 50 billion per CER over five years, should accelerate construction activity across housing, transport and urban services, supporting broad based cement consumption.

Logistics and connectivity measures announced in the budget are particularly significant for the cement industry. The announcement of new dedicated freight corridors, the operationalisation of 20 additional National Waterways over the next five years, the launch of the Coastal Cargo Promotion Scheme to raise the modal share of waterways and coastal shipping from 6 per cent to 12 per cent by 2047, and the development of ship repair ecosystems should enhance multimodal freight efficiency, reduce logistics costs and improve the sector’s carbon footprint. The announcement of seven high speed rail corridors as growth corridors can be expected to further stimulate regional development and construction demand.

Commenting on the budget, Parth Jindal, President, Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA), said, “As India advances towards a Viksit Bharat, the three kartavya articulated in the Union Budget provide a clear context for the Nation’s growth and aspirations, combining economic momentum with capacity building and inclusive progress. The Cement Manufacturers’ Association (CMA) appreciates the Union Budget 2026-27 for the continued emphasis on manufacturing competitiveness, urban development and infrastructure modernisation, supported by over 350 reforms spanning GST simplification, labour codes, quality control rationalisation and coordinated deregulation with States. These reforms, alongside the Budget’s focus on Youth Power and domestic manufacturing capacity under Atmanirbharta, stand to strengthen the investment environment for capital intensive sectors such as Cement. The Union Budget 2026-27 reflects the Government’s focus on infrastructure led development emerging as a structural pillar of India’s growth strategy.”

He added, “The Rs 200 billion CCUS outlay for various sectors, including Cement, fundamentally alters the decarbonisation landscape for India’s emissions intensive industries. CCUS is a significant enabler for large scale decarbonisation of industries such as Cement and this intervention directly addresses the technology and cost requirements of the Cement sector in context. The Cement Industry, fully aligned with the Government of India’s Net Zero commitment by 2070, views this support as critical to enabling the adoption and scale up of CCUS technologies while continuing to meet the Country’s long term infrastructure needs.”

Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Vice President, CMA, said, “The government’s sustained infrastructure push supports employment, regional development and stronger local supply chains. Cement manufacturing clusters act as economic anchors across regions, generating livelihoods in construction, logistics and allied sectors. The budget’s focus on inclusive growth, execution and system level enablers creates a supportive environment for responsible and efficient expansion offering opportunities for economic growth and lending momentum to the cement sector. The increase in public capex to Rs 12.2 trillion, the focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and the creation of City Economic Regions stand to strengthen the growth of the cement sector. We welcome the budget’s emphasis on tourism, cultural and social infrastructure, which should broaden construction activity across regions. Investments in tourism facilities, heritage and Buddhist circuits, regional connectivity in Purvodaya and North Eastern States, and the strengthening of emergency and trauma care infrastructure in district hospitals reinforce the cement sector’s role in enabling inclusive growth.”

CMA also noted the Government’s continued commitment to fiscal discipline, with the fiscal deficit estimated at 4.3 per cent of GDP in FY27, reinforcing macroeconomic stability and investor confidence.

Concrete

JK Cement Crosses 31 MTPA Capacity with Commissioning of Buxar Plant in Bihar

Published

3 weeks ago

January 30, 2026

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JK Cement has commissioned a 3 MTPA Grey Cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, taking its total capacity to 31.26 MTPA and placing it among India’s top five grey cement producers. The ₹500 crore investment strengthens the company’s national footprint while supporting Bihar’s infrastructure growth and local economic development.

JK Cement Ltd., one of India’s leading cement manufacturers, has announced the commissioning of its new state-of-the-art Grey Cement plant in Buxar, Bihar, marking a significant milestone in the company’s growth trajectory. With the commissioning of this facility, JK Cement’s total production capacity has increased to 31.26 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), enabling the company to cross the 30 MTPA threshold.

This expansion positions JK Cement among the top five Grey Cement manufacturers in India, strengthening its national footprint and reinforcing its long-term growth strategy.

Commenting on the strategic achievement, Dr Raghavpat Singhania, Managing Director, JK Cement, said, “Crossing 31 MTPA is a significant turning point in JK Cement’s expansion and demonstrates the scale, resilience, and aspirations of our company. In addition to making a significant contribution to Bihar’s development vision, the commissioning of our Buxar plant represents a strategic step towards expanding our national footprint. We are committed to developing top-notch manufacturing capabilities that boost India’s infrastructure development and generate long-term benefits for local communities.”

The Buxar plant has a capacity of 3 MTPA and is spread across 100 acres. Strategically located on the Patna–Buxar highway, the facility enables faster and more efficient distribution across Bihar and adjoining regions. While JK Cement entered the Bihar market last year through supplies from its Prayagraj plant, the Buxar facility will now allow the company to serve the state locally, with deliveries possible within 24 hours across Bihar.

Sharing his views on the expansion, Madhavkrishna Singhania, Joint Managing Director & CEO, JK Cement, said, “JK Cement is now among India’s top five producers of grey cement after the Buxar plant commissioning. Our capacity to serve Bihar locally, more effectively, and on a larger scale is strengthened by this facility. Although we had already entered the Bihar market last year using Prayagraj supplies, local manufacturing now enables us to be nearer to our clients and significantly raise service standards throughout the state. Buxar places us at the center of this chance to promote sustainable growth for both the company and the region in Bihar, a high-growth market with strong infrastructure momentum.”

The new facility represents a strategic step in supporting Bihar’s development vision by ensuring faster access to superior quality cement for infrastructure, housing, and commercial projects. JK Cement has invested approximately ₹500 crore in the project. Construction began in March 2025, and commercial production commenced on January 29, 2026.

In addition to strengthening JK Cement’s regional presence, the Buxar plant is expected to generate significant direct and indirect employment opportunities and attract ancillary industries, thereby contributing to the local economy and the broader industrial ecosystem.