Concrete

The Indian cement industry is achieving an exemplary performance

Published

4 years ago

November 18, 2022

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Jim O’Brien, CSR Consultant and Convenor of Global Aggregates Information Network (GAIN), evaluates how far the industry has come with the efforts to decarbonise cement and to have a positive impact on the environment as he places India’s performance on the spectrum of the international cement industry.

The cement industry is responsible for approximately 8 per cent of emissions globally. What are the key factors the industry must be looking into to reduce this?
Yes, the cement industry is responsible for around 8 per cent of the global CO2 emissions, and it is taking very active steps to reduce that footprint. In parallel, it must be realised that cement is an essential building material for a rapidly-developing modern society like India. Cement, aggregates, and concrete are essential to building the much-needed infrastructure and housing for what is now the most populous and rapidly-developing region in the world. Those concrete structures will gradually absorb much of the CO2 emitted during the cement production, and enable adaptation to whatever changes in climate may occur in the decades ahead. That wider perspective needs to be understood.

What is your outlook about India’s decarbonisation scenario? How is the country faring vis-a-vis other countries in the West?
Even though India pledged to reach Net Zero by 2070, its cement industry is forging ahead on a decarbonisation path to reach that goal by 2050 – or even earlier. In the analysis based on their 2021 sustainability reports, the top Indian players like Ultratech, Shree and Dalmia, demonstrably lead the world in process parameters like:

Achieving best kiln thermal efficiencies, approaching as low as 3000MJ/tonne clinker, against an industry average of around 3500MJ/tonne clinker.
Achieving best specific net CO2 emissions, now in the region of only 500kgCO2 /tonne cementitious product, against an industry average in the region of 600kg/CO2 /tonne.
Achieving reduction in specific net CO2 emissions by over 40 per cent compared to their levels in 1990, which are world-leading performances, of which the Indian cement industry can be truly proud.
These world-leading trends witness the major past and ongoing investments in modern kiln technology in India, in turn motivated the rapidly growing market and buoyant economic outlook for at least this decade.

Tell us more about the impact of alternative fuels and raw materials on the energy efficiency of the cement industry.
There are surprisingly contrasting results for the Indian players in this area:

The use of alternative fuels in India is amongst the lowest in the world, amounting to only a few per cent of thermal substitution; this is probably because waste legislation is not yet as advanced in India as it is in Europe, where, for example, kilns often use up to nearly 100 per cent of the alternative fuels.
These alternative fuels bring two distinct advantages. Firstly, use of these fuels (or at least the biomass component thereof) allows credits in the calculation of net CO2 emissions. Secondly, these fuels are cheaper, the more hazardous ones coming even with a negative cost, with significant commercial benefit.
The use of alternative materials in India is, on the other hand, amongst the highest in the world, ranging from 20 per cent to 40 per cent substitution, allowing very low clinker/cement ratios approaching 60 per cent; this is viable through the plentiful availability of puzzolans, slags and fly-ashes in India compared to Europe.
The high use of alternative materials and consequent low clinker/cement ratios in India not only greatly reduces the net specific CO2 emissions, but also reduces the volume of limestone needed to produce cement, an important factor in India.

How can technology and automation contribute towards building a sustainable environment?
The leading Indian players are also technology leaders in:

Highly efficient electrical energy consumption in the region of 70-80kWh/tonne cement, compared to the international average of around 100kWh/tonne, in India achieved through advanced grinding technology, probably also helped by the less demanding cement fineness required.
The extensive investment in waste heat recovery systems, plus the move to renewable energy, in particular through solar installations, all of which help to reduce Scope 2 CO2 emissions.
Automation is clearly key to optimising all processes both within and beyond the cement plant, and the latter can help in reducing Scope 3 transport emissions of both incoming raw materials and outgoing products.

In the Indian context, what would be the best practices to follow to ensure a sustainable environment?
There is much more to sustainability performance than CO2 emissions; the larger Indian players also feature prominently in other aspects.
In air emissions, they laudably achieve particulate emissions less than 40g/tonne clinker, NOx less 1000g/tonne clinker and SOx less 100g/tonne clinker, all well below industry averages, but do not yet report on minor air emissions.
Because of water scarcity in India, the larger players are highly focused on water use optimisation, achieving as low as 84 litres/tonne of cement, way below the industry average of around 300 litres/tonne; the major players pride themselves in being many times water-positive through rainwater harvesting.
The Indian players are highly conscious of waste reduction and re-use, one reporting itself as ‘plastic-positive’, their high use of alternative materials indeed puts them amongst the biggest recyclers in any industry.
As part of their ‘licence to operate from society’, the leading players have restoration plans for all their quarries, several with replanting programmes and biodiversity monitoring action plans where appropriate.

How can organisations overcome the challenges of maintaining a healthy and sustainable environment?
A number of relevant social indicators can be cited:
Like the cement industry globally, the Indian industry has a strong focus on occupational health and safety.

However, a number of fatalities to employees, contractors and third parties were reported amongst the Indian players in 2021; while the industry has achieved major improvement in fatality reduction over the last decade, the only acceptable figure is zero.
Indian employee accident rates are extremely low, as also are contractor rates, bearing witness to the strong operational focus on those key areas.
In terms of training, the Indian figures of 10-20 hours of training per employee per year are at or below the industry average of 20 hours, though many international players now have from 30 to 90 hours per employee per year.
Employee turnover rates in the Indian companies tend to be in the region of 6 per cent to 8 per cent, below the industry average of 12 per cent, indicating long-term employee loyalty in the Indian companies.
The employee age profiles in the Indian companies tend to be about 10 per cent below the age of 30, with 70 per cent between the ages of 30 and 50, with 20 per cent over 50, the average employee age being less than industry average, which bodes well for the future; however, the Indian companies have typically less than 5 per cent female employees, much lower than the industry average of 12 per cent.
Indian companies have world-leading programmes in terms of vital support to local communities in education (particularly for women), medical facilities, provision and clean water and sanitation; these witness the Indian cement industry’s huge dedication to the broader social needs of Indian society.

How do you envision the future of a sustainable environment in relation to the cement and building materials sector?
As demonstrated, the Indian cement industry is achieving an exemplary performance within the context of its cement plants and surrounding communities. So far, the Indian industry has in general little downward integration into concrete and aggregates, as is much more common in Europe and other developed regions. Accordingly, both the aggregates and concrete sectors are less developed in India compared to other countries, and could, I suggest, benefit in terms of broader synergistic, sustainability, quality and reputational terms through greater involvement of the cement industry.
The Indian cement industry, in the broadest sense, I believe, is all about delivering the most sustainable solutions in housing, infrastructure, transport and well-being to its society of 1.4 billion people; they deserve and rightly expect a happy, secure, prosperous, and sustainable future in the world’s fastest growing major regional economy. Accordingly, the opportunities for ambitious Indian entrepreneurial companies in further developing its cement, concrete and aggregates industries are immense.

–Kanika Mathur

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Concrete

JK Lakshmi Cement to Expand EV Fleet to 120 Vehicles by March 2027

JK Lakshmi Cement has deployed more than 70 EVs across its logistics network.

Published

2 hours ago

October 30, 2026

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JK Lakshmi Cement has deployed more than 70 electric vehicles (EVs) across its logistics network and plans to increase the fleet to 120 vehicles by March 2027. The expansion is part of its decarbonisation strategy, which aims to reduce transport-related emissions and improve operational efficiency.

The company has achieved nearly 100 per cent EV-based clinker dispatches from its Sirohi plant in Rajasthan to the Kalol Grinding Unit in Gujarat. The transition marks an increased use of electric mobility for long-haul cement transportation and is intended to lower the environmental impact of logistics operations.

The existing fleet operates on routes connecting the Sirohi plant with the Kalol Grinding Unit, Palanpur Unit and Surat Grinding Unit. JK Lakshmi Cement is working with electric vehicle logistics providers SwitchLabs and Billion E to support fleet deployment and manage transportation requirements across these routes.

The company expects the planned expansion to increase the use of electric mobility throughout its logistics network for moving cement and clinker. Chairperson and Managing Director Vinita Singhania said the programme reflected the integration of sustainable practices with the company’s focus on long-term business efficiency, while describing the Sirohi–Kalol transition as an important step in its wider decarbonisation strategy.

The EV programme forms part of JK Lakshmi Cement’s green logistics and sustainability roadmap, alongside initiatives to improve efficiency and reduce emissions across its value chain. The company has set a long-term target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2047. It is part of the JK Organisation and operates integrated cement plants in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, along with grinding units in Gujarat, Haryana and Odisha. The company has an annual turnover of more than Rs. 60 bn, combined cement capacity of approximately 18 mn t per annum and a target to raise capacity to 30 mn t by 2030. Its portfolio includes ready-mix concrete, gypsum plaster, wall putty, primer, adhesives and fly ash blocks.

Concrete

Martin Engineering Appoints Ashwini Khunte as India General Manager

Published

8 hours ago

October 30, 2026

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Martin Engineering names Ashwini Khunte India General Manager to strengthen operations and drive growth across key bulk material handling sectors.

Pune

Martin Engineering, a global provider of bulk material handling solutions, has appointed Ashwini Khunte as General Manager of its India business, strengthening its leadership as the company expands its presence across the country’s cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure sectors.

Khunte brings more than a decade of experience with Martin Engineering, having joined its Indian operations in 2013 as a Design Engineer, shortly after the company established its presence in the country in 2012.

A mechanical engineer by qualification, she spent her initial five years developing bulk material handling solutions in collaboration with the company’s operations team. During this period, she gained extensive experience addressing operational challenges in the steel, cement and coal industries. She subsequently moved into project engineering, managing major engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) projects from initial enquiry to commissioning. Her responsibilities later expanded to overseeing Martin Engineering’s conveyor product portfolio in India, involving customer engagement, technical presentations and site visits across heavy industries.

In 2024, Khunte was promoted to Head of Sales & Marketing for the company’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI) region. The position broadened her international market exposure and strengthened her strategic and commercial leadership capabilities.

Commenting on her appointment, Ashwini Khunte, General Manager, Martin Engineering India, said: “India represents a tremendous opportunity for Martin Engineering. The country’s continued investment in cement, mining, steel, power and infrastructure is creating increasing demand for safer, cleaner and more productive bulk material handling, and that’s exactly what we do. My priority will be to build on the strong foundations already established in India, while continuing to develop our people, strengthen customer relationships and bring practical solutions to the challenges faced by our industry.”

Robert Whetstone, Area Vice President – EMEAI, Martin Engineering, highlighted Khunte’s technical expertise, market understanding and leadership experience.

“Ashwini brings an exceptional combination of technical understanding, customer knowledge and commercial leadership. She has grown as Martin Engineering has grown, and has consistently demonstrated outstanding capability to transform her expertise into practical solutions. Her knowledge of the Indian market, together with her international experience, makes her ideally suited to lead our India business through its next stage of growth for years to come.”

Since establishing its Indian business in 2012, Martin Engineering has expanded its local workforce, manufacturing capabilities and dealership network. The company supplies conveyor products, transfer point solutions, material flow aids, training and technical support to bulk material handling industries. Khunte’s appointment positions the company to further strengthen customer relationships and expand its solutions portfolio in India’s growing industrial and infrastructure markets.

Concrete

CII Calls for Greater Alternative Fuel Use in Cement Industry

Published

1 day ago

October 29, 2026

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The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), through its Green Business Centre and Energy Efficiency Council, inaugurated the 16th Conference on Alternative Fuel and Raw Material Usage (AFR) in Goa on 27 October 2026. The two-day conference brought together more than 350 industry leaders, policymakers, waste management experts and technology providers to explore strategies for accelerating alternative fuel adoption in India’s cement industry.

Held under the theme ‘Preparation for Net-Zero: Alternative Fuels & Raw Material in Cement Manufacturing’, the conference focused on reducing dependence on conventional fuels, improving waste utilisation and strengthening circular economy practices across cement manufacturing operations.

E R Raj Narayanan, Chairman, AFR Conference 2026, and Business Head and Chief Manufacturing Officer, UltraTech Cement, highlighted the industry’s progress in alternative fuel adoption. He emphasised the need to scale implementation, strengthen supply chains and extend circularity beyond fuel substitution to alternative raw materials through technological innovation and industry collaboration.

Harish Adconkar, Managing Director, Goa Waste Management Corporation, highlighted Goa’s progress in scientific waste management and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) production. He stated that approximately 765,000 tonnes of RDF had been supplied to cement plants, contributing to an estimated displacement of 320,000–560,000 tonnes of coal. He emphasised the importance of consistent RDF offtake and stronger coordination between urban local bodies, waste management agencies and cement manufacturers.

Dr L P Singh, Director General, National Council for Cement and Building Materials, identified AFR as an important opportunity for decarbonisation and resource efficiency. Drawing parallels with the industry’s successful utilisation of fly ash, he stressed the need to address quality, technological and economic challenges to expand alternative fuel adoption.

Dr Sharad P Kale, Special Advisor to the Chief Minister of Goa and former Head of Technology Transfer and Collaboration at BARC, emphasised treating waste as a resource. He highlighted decentralised biodegradable waste processing, reduced food waste and improved resource recovery as essential measures for minimising landfill dependence.

Kiran Ananth, Executive Director, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Green Entrepreneurship, CII-Green Business Centre, noted that India’s cement production reached approximately 491 million tonnes in FY2025-26, while the industry’s thermal substitution rate (TSR) stood at 7.5 per cent, with around 7 million tonnes of alternative fuels utilised annually.

He added that the industry had invested over Rs 12 billion in co-processing infrastructure during the past six years. Improving RDF supply reliability and quality assurance would be crucial to maximising the utilisation of existing infrastructure and accelerating industrial decarbonisation.

The conference also featured discussions on advanced AFR co-processing technologies, waste pre-processing solutions and industrial best practices for improving fuel substitution and resource recovery.

A publication titled ‘From Waste to Kiln: Scaling the Use of MSW-Derived RDF in Indian Cement Plants’ was launched during the inaugural session. The report identified inconsistent RDF supply and quality as major barriers to achieving higher thermal substitution rates.

According to the publication, many cement kilns already possess the technical capability to achieve higher alternative fuel substitution. However, variations in RDF availability, moisture content, particle size and calorific value continue to limit utilisation. The report emphasised the need to strengthen waste segregation, pre-processing and aggregation systems to establish reliable RDF supply chains.

The conference’s second-day agenda includes discussions on innovative domestic and industrial waste management solutions, alternative raw materials for low-carbon cement and strategies to increase alternative fuel utilisation across India’s cement manufacturing sector.