Concrete

The main task in cement production is improving sustainability

Published

4 years ago

November 21, 2022

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Prakhar Shrivastava, Head – Corporate Quality, JK Cement Limited, discusses the smart use of supplementary cementitious materials to improve cement production and make cement manufacturing more integral to a circular economy.

What are supplementary cementitious materials? Tell us more about their nature
of origin.
Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM) are materials that are obtained from other industrial waste as by-product and none have their own/individually hardened properties but contribute by grinding with clinker or blending with Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) through hydraulic and/or pozzolanic activity. These waste products are used as supplementary cementitious materials so that the maximum utilisation of wastes is possible. SCM play a significant role in increasing the workability of the product and enhance the serviceability or durability, thus, decreasing the permeability, aiding in pumpability and finishability.
Typical SCM are flyash, slag, silica fume, natural ashes, rice husk ash, burnt shale, metakaolinite, calcined clay and natural pozzolana i.e., volcanic glass, etc. Among them, flyash and slag are widely used by cement industries for production of PPC and PSC.
Flyash or pulverised fuel ash is formed during combustion of coal from coal-fired electric and steam generating plants and obtained by electrostatic or mechanical precipitation of dust like particles from the flue gases. Earlier, it was recognised as an industrial waste but now has become an important industrial by-product.

Steel slag, a by-product of steel industries, formerly referred to as ground, granulated blast-furnace slag, is a glassy, granular material formed when molten, iron blast-furnace slag is rapidly chilled – typically by water sprays or immersion in water – and subsequently ground to cement fineness.

Tell us about the supplementary cementitious materials and their composition used by your organisation?
Supplementary cementitious materials are soluble siliceous, alumina-siliceous or calcium alumina-siliceous powders used as partial replacements of clinker in cements or as partial replacements of portland cement in concrete mixtures.
At JK Cement, we manufacture Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC) from all our plants with addition of flyash up to 35 per cent and PPC in premium category with 20 per cent flyash to promote usage of only blended cement to fulfil customer requirements by achieving equivalent strength properties of OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement). At our south India plant in Muddapur, we also manufacture Portland Slag Cement (PSC) with the addition of slag at approximately 65 per cent, meeting all the internal product quality norms.
In our plants, flyash is sourced from different thermal power plants in accordance to the quality, cost and suitability criteria of the plants. Similarly, slag is sourced from steel plants located in Karnataka and Goa. The typical chemical composition and quality requirements as per Indian standards of flyash and slag are mentioned in the table:

Does the use of supplementary cementitious materials impact the process of cement manufacturing?
Impact of SCM can be categorised in two aspects i.e., challenges and benefits. Below are the few challenges faced during the process of cement manufacturing.

Benefits of using SCM include reduction in CO2 emissions, less water usage and decrease in waste generation.

Major SCM are available across the country, such as, dry flyash and pond ash; however, less availability of dry flyash directly connected with thermal power plants (TPP) operation.
Though there is abundance of pond ash, the major concern in its usage is the high moisture content and coarser size, which creates constraint of jamming, leading to lower production, higher power consumption, blended cement quality and slower production.
Additional feeding systems are required.
Challenges of further grinding of abrasive/harder to grind materials such as coarser pond ash, GGBS, copper slag.
It may increase the cost of the product especially where some SCM are more expensive than cement. i.e., the availability of SCM.
SCM used for the clinkerisation process required high grade limestone to maintain the desired quality of clinker which affects the mine life.

What are the key advantages of using supplementary cementitious materials in the cement manufacturing process?
The key advantages of using supplementary cementitious materials are:

Increased clinker substitution; reduces CO2 emission per ton of cement production.
Reduces use of fossil fuel per ton of cement production.
Increases the life of limestone mines.
Reduces consumption of thermal and electrical energy.
Reduces water consumption.
Reduces generation of garbage materials at the location, which in turn leads to clean India.

How does the use of supplementary materials increase the profitability of the cement manufacturing for your organisation?
SCM play a vital role in increasing the profitability of the cement manufacturing; with the addition of SCM during cement production, it enhances the overall cement capacity. All our plants are using SCM which are available nearby to plant location. We are investing a lot at locations where SCM are available at a lower cost value and hence reducing the overall cost of cement as compared to clinker cost. Also, these SCM help in reducing the power consumption per ton of cement due to increase in cement volume. Another benefit is the increased cement volume that results in intangible benefit by increasing limestone mine life and conserving natural resources of compendious materials.

Tell us about the quality standards and checks implemented for the final product made using supplementary materials.
The Indian standards have been framed to define the quality of SCM by BIS. Each SCM has a specific Indian standard with specific quality norms like for pulverised fuel ash (IS 3812 Part-1), slag (IS 12089), calcined clay pozzolana (IS: 1344-1981 (Part-II) etc. According to IS specification; internal quality standards have been specified to monitor the SCM quality and these quality specifications are specified in the purchase order for vendor reference. A structured and systematic approach is made to check the SCM quality by the quality control department and all test results are recorded in SIT formats.
In order to make different grade products following checks have been implemented

Has established a distinct location/yard/silo for proper storage of SCM and to avoid contamination.
Different hoppers are assigned for each type of material storage and to introduce during the manufacturing process.
For controlled and calculated addition; weigh feeders are installed.
For each process or step, quality norms have defined and organised the monitoring and testing in stipulated frequency as per IS requirement.
Prior to dispatch and release of product in market or to customer the prescribed quality testing performed for quality reassurance.

Tell us about the role of technology in deciding the proportions of supplementary cementitious materials.
Today, the main task in cement production is improving sustainability by reducing emissions. This is achieved by promoting the use of green fuels that lower the conventional fuel consumption and by utilising the alternative raw materials i.e. SCM while producing reliable products at a competitive cost for the construction industry. Less clinker and more SCM is the challenge for the cement industry. The control and optimisation of clinker and cement reactivity is one important key to reach these targets. A problem today is that clinker and cement reactivity are not quantified at cement plants, except by slow and indirect methods like compressive strength testing.
XRF and XRD studies are valuable to understand the composition. However, quantitative XRD does not directly assess the reactivity of SCM. Recently isothermal heat flow calorimetry techniques have been suggested as a new analytical tool for process control and deciding the proportion of SCM in cement.
Recently, the beneficiation or processing of flyash has become hugely important. Flyash Beneficiation Technology or process converts waste from coal-fired power stations (pulverised fuel ash or flyash) by separating the constituent minerals to generate a range of sustainable, environment-friendly products with unique physical and chemical characteristics.

What are the major challenges you face while using supplementary materials for cement manufacturing?
The major concern is availability in terms of quality and quantity; the second factor is cost because the overall cost depends on the distance between the generation unit to the cement manufacturing plant which eventually impacts the cost of cement.
Constantly the SCM demand is increasing and the availability of good quality SCM is very limited and on high cost, the high moisture content of slag and pond ash creates operational challenges. The quality of SCM, largely influenced by the existence of high quartz, heavy metals, alkalis and the fineness that determine the quality of cement. Indian flyash is more crystalline compared to what is generated in other countries and the ratio of formers (SiO2,+Al2O3+Fe2O3) to network modifiers (Na2O+K2O+CaO+MgO) in the Indian flyash is very high and imbalanced.
Depending on the source of coal that varies from mine to mine impacts the composition of flyash like bituminous coals, sub-bituminous and lignite coal determine the flyash colour, fineness and other radicals. Among all SCM, flyash is mostly used in cement plants and as thermal power plants (TPP) are the source of flyash, the present availability of coal and its high cost is a major concern for TPP operations that is affecting the flyash generation. The availability and sources of slag in India are limited, which are affecting its usage in blended cement. Except for flyash and slag, other SCM availability is very less and not too economical.

How does the use of cement made of supplementary materials impact its carbon footprint?
We have committed to achieving our SBTi goal by cutting our GHG emissions according to climate science and as a Global Member of GCCA, by pledging for UNFCCC’s ‘Race to Zero Campaign’ to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050.
Clinker manufacturing is responsible for 80 per cent of the carbon emissions and supplementary cementitious materials reduce the clinker content in cement to a great extent without compromising the quality of the product. JK Cement’s green vision is to deliver a sustainable product to meet the stakeholder’s demands while taking several measures that can reduce CO2 emissions in the clinker manufacturing process. This can be achieved by using different types of alternative fuels, RDF/MSW, biomass fuels etc. and various industrial waste such as raw mix components like red mud, GCP dust, iron sludge, zinc slag etc.
Supplementary cementitious materials such as flyash, slag, waste gypsum and industrial waste are the crucial components of JK Cement’s business strategies for conservation of the mineral resources which enables us to produce sustainable construction materials in terms of low embodied carbon at a competitive cost. This has transformed our operations by setting up a benchmark for achieving the best sustainable business practices in the industries and producing Green Certified Cement.

Tell us about the impact of cement made with supplementary materials on the construction and allied industries.
As the construction sector is incessantly challenged by the growing societal demands for safer and cost-effective infrastructures, more and more environment-friendly products and processes must be developed and adopted into our industrial practice. Although supplementary cementitious materials are one of the most used construction materials worldwide, there are still some major concerns about their sustainability and durability.
Firstly, the production of concrete is releasing large volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, one of the greenhouse gases attributable to
climate change. Secondly, even though cementitious materials are very versatile and robust they may suffer from various deteriorative processes, leading to shortened service life, and consequently, intrusive or expensive costs for maintenance and repair.
To meet the expectations of consumers, demanding more durable, less labour and service intensive materials at a competitive price, numerous new composite materials and technologies have been developed over the last couple of decades including blended cements with Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCM).

Some of the positive impacts are summarised as follows:

The use of supplementary cementitious materials in construction not only improves the mechanical property of cement matrix but also reduces its impacts on the environment.
Blended cement helps to reduce the damage to the concrete from alkali-silica reaction and provides higher resistance to chloride ingress thus reducing the risk of reinforcement corrosion.
Mitigating sulphate phase formation, which takes place when sulphates found in seawater and some soils react with tricalcium aluminate in concrete.
Some of the allied industries have started making limestone bricks, AAC blocks, hollow blocks, flyash bricks which are not only considered as green products but also reduce the cost of construction works.

How do you foresee the future of the global cement industry in terms of using alternative materials for cement manufacturing and running the race of decarbonisation?
The production of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) is continuously declining, with a simultaneous increase in the production of blended cement like PPC, PSC, and Composite Cement based on flyash and granulated blast furnace slag. SCM are increasingly used to minimise cement-related CO2 emissions and increase plant efficiency from an economic and environmental perspective.
At present, blended cements have a greater share (73 per cent) in comparison to ordinary portland cement (27 per cent). Other cement formulations such as Portland Limestone Cement (PLC) and Limestone Calcined Clay Cement (LC3) are also at different stages of development in India.
In recent years, globally and in India several research has been conducted for the development of environment-friendly and less CO2 emission cement i.e., Calcium Sulfo-Aluminate Cement, Reactive Belite Cement, Alkali Activated Cement etc., that is found to be more energy-saving, less carbon intensive and optimises waste-utilisation. Further studies were carried out on carbon capture storage and usage, zero emission mining, oxyfuel combustion in kiln etc. If these solutions become economically viable, they may contribute to a considerable reduction in CO2 output from the cement industry.

–Kanika Mathur

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Green Construction Through Cement Innovation

Published

5 hours ago

July 2, 2026

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Indian Cement Review (ICR) and Fuller Technologies brought industry, policy and technology leaders together to discuss how cement innovation can drive green construction at scale, writes Rakesh Rao.

India is building at a pace few countries can match. Highways, airports, housing, logistics parks, industrial corridors and urban infrastructure are reshaping the country’s economic geography. But beneath this growth story lies a difficult question: can India continue to build at scale without locking itself into a high-carbon future?

That question formed the core of an online panel discussion titled “Driving Green Construction Through Cement Innovation”, organised by Indian Cement Review (ICR) in association with Fuller Technologies as the Presenting Partner on June 25, 2026. The webinar brought together experts from cement technology, R&D, global industry platforms, building performance policy and international development cooperation to examine how low-carbon cement and material innovation can accelerate India’s green construction transition.

The discussion came at a crucial time. India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and reducing the carbon intensity of its economy by 45 per cent by 2030. At the same time, the country’s construction sector is expanding rapidly, driven by urbanisation, infrastructure development, housing demand and industrial growth. Cement, as one of the most widely used construction materials, sits at the heart of this transition. It is indispensable to development, but also central to the challenge of reducing embodied carbon in buildings and infrastructure.

Moderated by Nitika Krishan, Senior Urban Infrastructure and Sustainable Policy Consultant, the panel featured:

Kiranmai Sanagavarapu, Director, Low Carbon Solutions, Fuller Technologies;
Dr Hemantkumar Aiyer, VP and Head R&D, Nuvoco Vistas Corp Ltd;
Devika Wattal, Innovation Lead, Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA);
Dr Sunita Purushottam, MD, GBPN India (Global Buildings Performance Network); and
Vaibhav Rathi, Senior Technical Advisor, GIZ (the German Agency for International Cooperation)

Setting the tone for the discussion, Nitika Krishan underlined the scale of the challenge before the sector. “The question before us is no longer whether we build, but how we build sustainably,” she said. She pointed out that construction accounts for nearly 40 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions when both operational and embodied carbon are considered. Cement production, she added, remains one of the hardest industrial processes to decarbonise.

For India, this is not merely an environmental issue. It is a development issue, a competitiveness issue and increasingly, a market issue. As one of the world’s largest cement producers and among the fastest-growing construction markets, India’s material choices will influence the carbon trajectory of its built environment for decades. As Krishan observed, sustainability solutions in economies such as India must not remain limited to laboratory success. They must be scalable, commercially viable and practical at national level.

The innovation gap: From technology to market

Experts believe that there is a need to bridge the innovation gaps for making decarbonisation in cement and concrete scalable. Devika Wattal of GCCA, explained, “The starting point must be the core cement manufacturing process itself. The first and foremost is the heart of our process, the heart of cement manufacturing. How do we reduce clinker? That is always a topic where industry is working very intrinsically.”

Clinker reduction remains one of the most important pathways for lowering emissions in cement. Since clinker production is energy-intensive and chemically emits carbon dioxide, reducing the clinker factor through supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), blended cements and new chemistries can have a significant impact. Wattal also noted that carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) will have a role, though it may not be the first lever for all markets.

However, she stressed that innovation cannot stop at technology development. A solution that works in the lab must also be adaptable to industry, scalable in production and acceptable in construction practice. “It is important for that innovation to be adaptable, to be scalable, and so that it can be executed in real time,” she said.

Wattal also called for stronger enabling systems around innovation. These include performance-based standards, product-level embodied carbon databases and clearer frameworks for evaluating green materials. Without these, low-carbon cement products may struggle to compete with conventional materials in procurement and design.

R&D must balance carbon, cost and performance

Bringing in the R&D perspective into the discussion, Dr Hemantkumar Aiyer of Nuvoco Vistas emphasised that low-carbon cement development cannot be treated as a single-variable exercise. Cement must perform in real construction conditions. It must deliver strength, durability, consistency and cost competitiveness, while also reducing carbon.

“The root of understanding and balancing all these aspects lies in materials, and knowing the materials,” he said.

According to Dr Aiyer, R&D teams must understand the variability of raw materials such as fly ash, slag and clinker. Different sources produce different material behaviours. This makes mix optimisation, material characterisation and processing-property relationships critical. When performance is affected, cement manufacturers must understand how strength enhancers, admixtures and other performance chemicals interact with the material system.

He also linked material science with process efficiency. Clinkerisation takes place at extremely high temperatures, around 1,400 to 1,450 degrees Celsius. Any improvement in raw mix design, process control or energy optimisation can, therefore, help reduce emissions and cost. Dr Aiyer pointed to artificial intelligence-based optimisation, Cement 4.0 tools and advanced software as important enablers for real-time process and material control.

“The more you understand the materials, the more you can control it,” he said.

LC3: The promise is proven, the sequencing is not

Limestone calcined clay cement, commonly referred to as LC3, has attracted global attention because it can reduce clinker content significantly by using calcined clay and limestone while maintaining performance in many applications. Kiranmai Sanagavarapu of Fuller Technologies said the technology itself has already moved beyond proof of concept. Fuller Technologies has worked with calcined clay technology for nearly two decades and has seen plants running in France and Ghana. These plants, she said, are meeting local and national specifications, while the economics are beginning to make sense.

“The calciner is performing, the economics is stacking up, it is making business sense to produce,” she said.

But if the technology is viable, why has adoption not scaled faster? For Sanagavarapu, the answer lies in project sequencing. Too often, clay characterisation happens after equipment is specified. This, she warned, is a backward approach because calciner design depends on clay mineralogy, kaolinite content, iron levels, reactivity, moisture and other variables.

“If you don’t know what your deposit looks like before you commit for the equipment, you are, in a way, going blind into designing,” she said.

She also identified permitting and plant integration as major bottlenecks. Environmental clearances, mining permissions and local regulatory approvals must begin early. Similarly, calcined clay must be integrated into existing grinding, blending and logistics systems from the design stage, not treated as an afterthought during commissioning.

India already has IS 18189:2023 standard for LC3, but Sanagavarapu pointed out that the standard is not yet visible enough in procurement documents. “The gap between what is technically being permitted and what the procurement is asking is the single biggest bottleneck,” she said.

In her view, successful scale-up depends on getting the sequence right: clay characterisation first, permitting in parallel, standards aligned with construction, and integration built into plant design.

India’s LC3 journey: Progress, but demand remains thin

Providing details of India’s LC3 commercialisation experience, Vaibhav Rathi of GIZ noted that JK Cement carried out the first commercial production of LC3 at its Rajasthan plant, followed by JK Lakshmi Cement three months later. These initiatives were supported by the International Climate Initiative of the Government of Germany, with IIT Delhi contributing deep institutional knowledge on LC3 research and BIS certification.

Rathi said India’s early experience has produced clear lessons. One of the biggest was the need to build capacity among regulators. While BIS certification existed, State Pollution Control Boards were unfamiliar with the technology and unsure about the approval pathway.

“The capacity building is not just needed amongst the producer and the users of the cement, but also the regulators who are working with this technology for the first time,” he said.

He also highlighted the need for better information on China clay deposits. Since China clay is currently classified as a minor mineral, centralised data on availability, quality and location is limited. If cement manufacturers are to adopt LC3 at scale, stronger mineral intelligence will be important.

The third issue is demand. LC3 has already been used in projects such as Palava City in Mumbai and Noida International Airport, but these remain limited examples. “It is in a chicken and egg situation,” Rathi said. “Cement companies are saying we need more demand, and users are saying there is not enough cement available.”

Public procurement, he suggested, could help break this cycle. If agencies such as CPWD and other public bodies begin testing, accepting and specifying LC3, it could create the market confidence needed for cement companies to invest in production and storage.

Building codes must catch up with innovation

Dr Sunita Purushottam of GBPN India argued that material choices will determine built environment emissions over the long term, but India’s current policy signals remain fragmented. Although LC3 has received BIS recognition, she pointed out that building codes, municipal bylaws, schedules of rates and sustainability codes do not yet provide uniform guidance on low-carbon cement.

“The current cement regulations are largely prescriptive and favouring traditional materials,” she said. This limits the ability of alternative materials to compete on performance, durability and emissions.

Dr Purushottam also raised the issue of taxation. Cement, including LC3, currently falls under the same GST bracket as conventional cement. A differentiated tax structure, she argued, could help accelerate market adoption. “In order for the market to demand LC3, that differentiation in the GST could go a long way,” she said.

She noted that green building certifications such as IGBC and GRIHA are already creating demand for low-carbon materials by assigning points for embodied carbon and sustainable material use. However, she said large-scale adoption will require regulatory mandates, particularly through building codes and state-level notifications.

She also cautioned that low-carbon cement alone does not solve the entire building performance problem. A material may reduce embodied carbon, but the operational carbon of a building depends on thermal performance, design, insulation and energy use. “The energy part has two elements,” she said. “One is the embodied carbon of the material itself, and the other is the operational carbon.”

Collaboration is the bridge between invention and impact

Wattal said GCCA sees innovation as a strategic priority and works through platforms that connect industry with academia and start-ups. “There is no way we will decarbonise our sector without innovation,” she said.

However, she stressed that research must be connected to actual industry challenges. Innovations developed in isolation may fail when they encounter real-world barriers such as raw material variability, plant integration, cost, standards and finance. Start-ups, too, need industry mentorship and scale-up pathways.

Wattal also flagged the importance of finance. Even strong technologies may struggle to attract investment if there is no common understanding of bankability. “We have always put projects into, is this a bankable project? But the definition of a bankable project has never been defined,” she said.

For India, she saw strong potential in its academic and start-up ecosystem, but said the challenge lies in alignment and prioritisation. The country has the research base, industrial capacity and market size. What it now needs is a coordinated route from innovation to deployment.

There is a practical concern for cement manufacturers: how can existing plants be adapted for lower emissions without compromising reliability or commercial viability?

Kiranmai Sanagavarapu addressed, “The reliability risk in calcined clay retrofit is definitely real, but it is almost always self-inflicted. The risk arises when a new process is added to an existing circuit without properly redesigning grinding and blending configurations.”

Existing cement plants, she explained, can take two broad routes. The first is external sourcing of calcined clay combined with mill optimisation. This requires lower capital investment and can potentially move in 12 to 18 months if other conditions are in place. It may reduce emissions by around 20 to 30 per cent. The second route is integrated calcination on site, which requires higher capital expenditure and longer lead times, but provides greater control over quality, supply and emissions reduction potential.

For Sanagavarapu, the principle is simple: low-carbon retrofits must be designed with intent. “Design it with an intent properly from the start. Start in the market conditions where the economics are already working,” she said.

Circularity: The overlooked advantage

According to Vaibhav Rathi, fly ash and slag are already well established in cement and construction (C&D), but construction and demolition waste remains underutilised. “C&D waste is a growing business opportunity which not many have taken up,” he said. India’s continuous construction and demolition activity creates huge volumes of waste, much of which contributes to air pollution, land degradation and material inefficiency. With the right processing and standards, this waste can be converted into useful construction products.

Rathi also pointed out that LC3 has a circular economy dimension that is often overlooked. It can use low-grade kaolin-rich clay left behind after high-grade clay is extracted for other applications. “LC3 is not only a low-carbon solution, but also a circular economy solution,” he said.

At the same time, he cautioned that LC3 in India is not yet cheap because it has not reached scale. Site-specific techno-commercial feasibility studies, supported jointly by development agencies and industry, could help companies assess whether LC3 production makes technical and financial sense at a given location.

Dr Purushottam added that India must address both low-carbon cement and construction waste together. “Both low-carbon cement and C&D waste go hand in hand. India does not have an option but to work on both,” she said.

Dr Aiyer called for policy shifts from both government and industry, including preferential purchasing of sustainable materials, minimum supplementary cementitious material requirements in public and public-private projects, and faster regulatory implementation. “If we can fast-track the regulatory standards and their implementation on the ground, that is the way to go,” he said.

From green ambition to green construction

Cement innovation is no longer only about chemistry. It is about systems. Low-carbon cement will scale only when technology, standards, procurement, finance, regulation, education and construction practice move together.

LC3 and other low-carbon technologies have shown promise. India has early commercial examples, strong research capability and growing market interest. But mainstream adoption will depend on whether demand can be created, regulators can be capacitated, standards can be embedded in procurement, and manufacturers can see a clear business case.

For a country building at India’s scale, the opportunity is enormous. Cement will continue to be central to infrastructure and urban development. The challenge now is to ensure that the cement used in India’s growth story carries a lower carbon burden.

Rakesh Rao

Participate in Cement Expo 2026 and discover how next-gen infrastructure can be built with innovations in cement.

Concrete

JK Cement Declared Preferred Bidder For Gilund Limestone Block

Shares Edge Higher As Company Wins Rajasthan Block

Published

2 days ago

June 30, 2026

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JK Cement gained after being declared preferred bidder for the Gilund Limestone Block in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan, a lease area of 370.96 hectares. The firm saw its shares trade at Rs. 5550.05, up by 28.45 points or 0.52 per cent from the previous close of Rs. 5521.60 on the BSE. The scrip opened at Rs. 5569.15 and touched a high of Rs. 5625.00 and a low of Rs. 5531.00.

The stock recorded turnover of 1742 shares on the counter and the BSE group A stock with face value Rs. 10 has a 52 week high of Rs. 7565.00 on 20-Aug-2025 and a 52 week low of Rs. 4670.05 on 12-Jun-2026. Last one week high and low stood at Rs. 5625.00 and Rs. 5329.00 respectively. The promoters holding in the company stood at 45.66 per cent, while institutions and non-institutions held 40.61 per cent and 13.73 per cent respectively.

The e-auction conducted by the Government of Rajasthan resulted in the company being declared preferred bidder for the mining lease, and the allocation will enable the company to plan phased development of the deposit, subject to regulatory approvals. The Gilund block spans 370.96 hectares and its allocation is intended to support raw material security for the company’s cement operations in the region. The designation follows the government auction process and will allow the company to plan development and integration of the deposit into its supply chain.

The current market capitalisation stands at Rs. 430.38 billion (bn), reflecting market response to the mining news and prevailing valuation levels for the sector. Investors and analysts will watch for formal allotment and related disclosures that can clarify timelines, capital expenditure and expected production profiles. The report is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute investment advice, and market participants are advised to consult advisers before making decisions.

Concrete

Star Cement Named Preferred Bidder For Boro Lakhindong Block

Preferred bidder for limestone mining lease in Assam

Published

3 days ago

June 29, 2026

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Star Cement has been declared the preferred bidder for the mining lease for Boro Lakhindong West Block following e-auctions conducted by the Government of Assam. The block is located in Boro Lakhindong Village, Umrangso Tehsil, Dima Hasao District, Assam, and extends over an area of 123 hectares. The estimated limestone resource is 207.822 million (mn) tonnes (t), a quantity that will supply raw material for cement production and support the company’s manufacturing operations in the region.

The company is engaged in the manufacturing and selling of cement clinker and cement and distributes products across the north-eastern and eastern states of India. Star Cement operates plants and logistics networks that procure and process limestone to produce clinker for cement, and the addition of Boro Lakhindong is presented as a strategic enhancement of feedstock availability. The preferred bidder status secures rights to the specified lease area under the terms of the auction process.

Financial results for the company in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026 showed a consolidated net profit rise of 20.24 per cent to Rs 1,481.0 mn on an 11.54 per cent increase in revenue to Rs 11,735.5 mn compared with the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Those results reflected higher sales volumes and revenue growth in the company’s primary markets and are cited in company disclosures accompanying the lease announcement. The reported performance provides context to the company’s ability to pursue and finance new mining lease opportunities.

Market reaction to the declaration was modest, with the scrip rising zero point thirty six per cent to trade at Rs 212 on the BSE. The award of the Boro Lakhindong lease concludes the e-auction process for the west block and assigns operational rights to Star Cement as the preferred bidder, subject to completion of statutory and contractual formalities.