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

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Anil Agrawal, Additional Secretary urges the Cement industry to innovate and decarbonise.

Friday, 17th December, 2021, New Delhi: JK Cement, Ultratech & Shree Cement swept the 5th Indian Cement Review Awards 2021 at The Lalit, Delhi, on 17th December 2021 among the large category (over Rs 5000 cr operating revenue) amidst an august gathering of captains of industry, bankers, fund managers, bureaucrats, technocrats and media.

In his opening address, Mr. Pratap Padode, Founder and President, FIRST Construction Council, said, “The National Infrastructure Pipeline is looking at doubling the annual investment into infrastructure. Between 2014 and 2019, the investment into infrastructure has doubled from Rs 5 trillion in 2014 to Rs 10 trillion in 2019 on an annual basis and going forward the plan is to invest an average of Rs 20 trillion per annum in order to meet the NIP target of spending Rs 111 trillion in five years. Infrastructure projects, which did not need as much, are being done on a much larger scale and are being executed at greater speed.”

On receiving the award for the Person of the Year, an emotional Mr. Mahendra Singhi, MD & Group CEO, Dalmia Cement, after thanking the jury of Indian Cement Review and the FIRST Construction Council, the Guest of Honour, Anil Agrawal and his mentor Puneet Dalmia, asserted, “The Indian cement industry is poised to go from grey to green in the time to come. It is ready to support not only itself but other sectors, too. It is time to think afresh, to reshape and repurpose our business. The Indian cement sector is known as the most energy efficient and sustainable one in the world. Now it is time to move toward a net zero economy. I am sure that we would be the flag bearers in this effort across the globe.”

Expressing his delight Shri Agarwal exhorted the cement industry to embrace innovation.
Highlighting the strides that entrepreneurial India is taking, he informed, “We have 80 start-ups, which were valued at over $250 billion as against the market value of all CII companies at $800 billion, and FICCI companies at $400 billion. They have spurred their valuation due to the power of innovation, which is what will similarly revalue cement companies, if they make the moves to further innovation in their industry.”

During and earlier fireside chat both Singhi and Rajnish Kapur, COO, JK Cement parlayed over the challenges of sustainability and decarbonisation. Experts from the industry advocated decarbonisation strategies in view of PM Modi’s commitment to be net zero by 2070.

The evening concluded with cocktails and dinner, and a heartfelt appreciation from the industry stakeholders on the efforts put in by the FIRST Construction Council in recognising and applauding the progress of the Indian cement industry.

Winners

Fastest Growing Cement Company (Large Category over Rs 5000 cr)
1. JK Cement
2. Ultratech
3. Shree Cement

Fastest Growing Cement Company (Medium Category between Rs 2000 cr and Rs 5000 cr)
1. JK Lakshmi Cement
2. Birla Corporation
3. Heidelberg Cement India Limited
4. Orient Cement

Largest & Most profitable Cement Company in India
1. UltraTech

Fastest Growing Cement Company (Small Category less than Rs 2000 cr)
1. NCL Industries
2. Sagar Cements
3. Anjani Portland
Lifetime Achievement
1. Mr Suresh Deolalkar, Consultant

Person of the Year
1. Mr. Mahendra Singhi, Group CEO, Dalmia Cement

The esteemed Jury Advisory Panel included:

  • Mr. Ashok Dembla , Managing Director, KHD Humboldt Wedag
  • Mr. Ashwani Pahuja, Chief Sustainability Officer & Executive Director, Dalmia Cement (Bharat)
  • Dr. Bibekananda Mohapatra, Director General, National Council for Cement and Building Materials
  • Dr. JD Bapat , Adviser and Development Professional
  • Mr. KN Rao, Former Director, ACC
  • Mr. Nitin Vyas, CEO, BEUMER Group
  • Mr. Madhav Vemuri, Director and Entrepreneur, Aideas Engineering
  • Mr. Rahul Deshmukh, Managing Director, Aluminium, Fives India Engineering & Projects Pvt. Ltd.
  • Mr. Pratap Kumar Ghosh, Managing Director, Ercom Engineers Pvt Ltd
  • Mr. Goverdhandas Daga, Director, Secmec Consultants
  • Mr. DD Wanjale, Managing Director, GEBR. Pfeiffer (India)

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication 

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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. 

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Concrete

JSW Cement commissions additional 1 MTPA grinding unit at Nagaur

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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.”

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Concrete

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

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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.

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