Economy & Market

Protection, Promotion & Projection

Published

5 years ago

January 13, 2022

admin

South Indian Cement Manufacturers’ Association (SICMA) President N Srinivasan has sought the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s intervention to impose higher duty on the import of clinker and cement into India to match neighbouring countries that have slapped anti-dumping duties on import of cement from India into their countries.

Highlighting the mismatch in capacity between the South and the North of India, SICMA stated that South — with 180 million tonnes per annum (MPTA) capacity — accounts for almost 40 per cent of India’s cement production. Other parts of the country will face a deficit in cement production

in a few years’ time. Some regions already are — north-east India is often short of cement. SICMA also sought the government to facilitate movement of cement by providing either telescopic railway freight or some other method.

“GST alone fetches about `30,000 crore annually from the Indian cement industry, the second largest in the world after China,” asserted SICMA in its representation.

As the first half year was facing the brunt of the high input costs, there has been evidence of a silver lining as the year ended. There has been a decline in imported coal and pet coke prices in the last two months. South African coal prices have fallen to $130-140/tonne from its peak of $220- 230/tonne; pet coke prices down to $140-150 per tonne (from its peak $220/ tonne). Average fuel cost for the industry should increase by `100-150/tonne in the October-December period as per rating agencies.

On 17th December the industry doyens came together as part of the 5th Indian Cement Review Awards and top of their agenda was – Decarbonisation of cement.

India’s commitment to net zero cannot be realised without the contribution of the cement sector. At the 7th Indian Cement Review Conference, the best minds from the industry voiced their opinions and ideas on decarbonisation. Companies cited several initiatives including the use of electric vehicles for cement, clinker and other input output logistics.

At the 5th Indian Cement Review Awards 2021, our guest of honour, Anil Agarwal, Additional Secretary, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, was impressed by growth that the industry had managed despite trying conditions. However, he urged the industry to innovate and build value for their shareholders.

Housing sales have been up by 71% over previous year buy are yet lower than prepandemic

levels. Road construction has been lagging behind. “The government has set a target of 12,000 km (for) the current financial year against which 5,118 km which has been constructed as on November 30, 2021,” road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari informed the Rajya Sabha last month. The government has lowered the target for the year to 33 km/day from 40 km/day set earlier. The original target was to build 14,600 km highways in 2021-22, up from 13,327 km constructed in 2020-21.

Construction fell to its lowest in four years to 21.3 km per day during the April-November period of the current fiscal year, compared with an average of 25.8 km/day in the same period last fiscal. It was 24 km/day in the comparable period of FY19 and 24.8 in the same period in FY20, both pre-pandemic periods.

The new Omicron wave is likely to slow down the momentum albeit temporarily as it is seen a s less severe. The Union Budget must step up infrastructure spending by working towards credible and realisable plans for fund raises.

Up Next

The 5th Indian Cement Review Awards 2021

Don't Miss

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

Concrete

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

Published

5 days ago

October 19, 2026

admin

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

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

2 weeks 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.”