Economy & Market

The 7th Indian Cement Review Conference pushes the conversation forward on ‘Decarbonising the Cement Industry’

Published

5 years ago

December 24, 2021

admin

The 7th Indian Cement Review Conference was held on 17th December, 2021, at The Lalit, New Delhi, in the presence of representatives of the cement industry.

The Conference revolved around the theme of ‘Decarbonsing the Cement Industry’ with panel discussions focussed on bringing the best trends in sustainability. The Conference started with an inaugural address by Mr Pratap Padode, Founder and President of the FIRST Construction Council. He highlighted alarming statistics about carbon emissions by the cement industry world, and underscored the fact that for climate change, cement needs to decarbonise. He encouraged the attendees to ask relevant questions of the experts and discuss decarbonisation amongst themselves to understand viable solutions for the challenges ahead.

Mr Satish Pandey gave a keynote address on the Current Best Practices and Plants of Tomorrow – Transform India. This was followed by the panel discussion on Paving Way Towards Energy and Sustainability, which was moderated by Mr Vaibhav Agarwal, Research Analyst and Vice President, Institutional Equity Research, PhillipCapital. The panelists included Mr Bibekananda Mohapatra, Director General, NCCBM; Mr Shrinath Savoor, Jt President (Strategy and Business Development), Shree Cement; Dr Sujit Ghosh, Executive Director, Dalmia Cement; Mr Madhusudhan, R Country Head, IKN Engineering; and Mr Subhasis Chattopadhyay, Head – Projects, Birla Corporation.

The key highlights of this discussion included use of supplementary raw materials like fly ash, and bio fuels like biomass and agricultural waste, importance of technology in carbon capture and need to upgrade existing cement plants. The panelists also discussed the importance of climate finance and wider acceptance of blended cement, especially in government-backed projects.

The fireside chat at the conference focussed on environment vs economic growth. It was moderated by Mr Sachin Joshi, Sustainability Consultant, and Head, UNIDO FIC-SID. The panelists for this session were Mr Mahendra Singhi, MD and CEO, Dalmia Cement Bharat; and Mr Rajnish Kapur, COO, JK Cement. This session focussed on the key measures to support the economy and reduce environmental pressure as well as innovations and best practices. Both the experts highlighted the fact that planetary boundaries are changing. Mr Singhi pointed out that India is the only country with online monitoring of carbon emissions.

The experts also stressed on the importance of vision and strategy for an inclusive growth for all stakeholders. This would make everyone think ‘what more can I do’. Economics and sustainability need to be aligned. Clean and green is profitable and sustainable and cement companies need to lead by example.

The second panel discussion for the day started right after the lunch break and covered associated topics of clean-energy future; the role of tech and AI in optimising energy consumption by improving equipment productivity; environmental concerns and carbon costs; sustainable cement packaging; and MSW as a fuel for kiln.

The panel was moderated by Mr Sanchit Makhija, Principal, AT Kearney. The panelists included Mr Manoj Rustogi, Head – Sustainability, JSW Cement; Mr Jeevaraj Pillai, Joint President (Packaging), UFlex; Mr Saurabh Palsania, Executive Director, Dalmia Cement; Mr SK Rathore, President, JK Cement; and Mr Jeyamurugan Kandasamy, Head of Connected Assets Global, Group Digital-Smart Products, FLSmidth.

In his valedictory speech, Mr Sumit Banerjee, Chairman – Editorial Advisory Board, Indian Cement Review, called climate change “a complex and ‘wicked’ problem.” He pointed out, “It is important to understand if cement production is sustainable. Carbon sequestration, synthesising cement, and use of hydrogen as fuel in a kiln are the three possibilities, which exist today that can provide some hope in decarbonsing cement. But these attempts are not serious because the cement industry’s participation in these endeavours is lukewarm. “

Appreciating India’s contribution to decarbonising cement, Mr Mahendra Singhi, MD and CEO, Dalmia Cement (Bharat), said, “The planetary boundaries of decarbonisation are changing. India is the only country with online monitoring of carbon emissions.”

The 7th Indian Cement Review Conference ended on an optimistic note as representatives of cement companies present, expressed their commitment towards decarbonising cement and the concrete steps required to make this possible.

Up Next

M Singhi – Person of the Year: JK Cement – fastest growing cement co

Don't Miss

Upcycling waste into eco-friendly sand

Click to comment

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 days ago

October 9, 2026

admin

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

3 days ago

October 8, 2026

admin

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.”

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

Published

4 days ago

October 7, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.