Dr Hitesh Sukhwal, Deputy General Manager (Environment), Udaipur Cement Works, discusses the early adoption of breakthrough technologies that will help the Indian cement industry take faster strides towards its Net Zero target.
Technology is a vital enabler of sustainability. Delivering on the sustainability agenda will be impossible without technology adoption. To make better usage of available resources, technology plays a pivotal role for the best and efficient utilisation of resources. The concept of sustainability has many dimensions. It is a long way journey where initial effort converts into result, later. Many companies (service, manufacturing, etc) are now convinced that the environment-friendly process, product and services will provide them with a less competitive atmosphere from their peers. It has become a priority for every business. Sustainable business demands new technology, process and innovative solutions to manage the available resources. The cement industry is confronting many challenges due to availability and quality of raw material, geographical location and natural resources, climate linked environmental concerns. Cement is the second most consumed product globally after potable water and it is utilised in almost every built-up structure viz. houses, roads, railways, airport infrastructure, dams, etc. The global economic growth and rapid urbanisation increases demand for cement. The cement industry is an energy intensive and significant contributor to climate change. Cement production contributes greenhouse gases directly / indirectly into the atmosphere through calcination and usage of fossil fuel in an energy form. Worldwide, the cement industry is the best example for adoption of advanced best technology for energy and operational efficiency among the industry sectors. However, cement industries contribute significantly to carbon dioxide emissions. Decarbonising cement manufacturing will play a vital role for sustaining the cement business. There will be several challenges to decarbonise cement completely in all aspects of production, supply chain and usage.
Sustainability and technological innovation Cement manufacturing requires a large number of resources – from raw material to finished goods. The cement manufacturing process can be divided into four major processes viz. mining, raw material processing, clinkerisation and finish grinding processing. Cement concrete is the second most consumed product in the world after potable water. With this distinctive manufacturing process and its key ingredients, cement is highly carbon intensive and a source of CO2 emissions. Thus, the cement industry is responsible for around 8 per cent of total global emissions1. To meet the Government’s plans on development of highways, smart cities, affordable housing and other infrastructure, the projected demand for cement in 2019–2020 is 415 million tonnes, implying installed capacity of at least 460 million tonnes at 90?per cent utilisation. The Indian cement industry is expected to continue its fast-paced growth and attain installed capacity of 850 million ton per annum by 2030 and 1350 million tonnes per annum by 20502. With the vision 2030, the above industrial growth cannot be realised without considering environmental sustainability. The Indian cement industry has given time, invested in R&D and adopted technological advancement for upgradation of process and pollution control equipment throughout the manufacturing process. At present, almost all cement manufacturing units are having a dry process and in mature stage with existing cement standards for operational parameters, environmental and energy. The Indian cement industry is among the most energy and carbon-efficient of cement industries globally and has the lowest carbon footprint3. In November 2021, at the Glasgow Climate summit, India announced Net Zero carbon emissions by 2070. The cement industry has implemented various technological innovations in their mining mineral, process optimisation, energy production and conservation, water management and fuel consumption. However, sustainable cement manufacturing is still the need of the hour as cement production is one of the highest emitting industries. Decarbonising the cement industry cannot be achieved by a signal solution, instead, every stage in the value chain must reduce its carbon footprint to reach the decarbonisation target. To achieve the necessary carbon reduction target, more innovative solutions viz. new technologies and alternative building materials will be required. Potential strategies for lowering carbon emissions in the cement sector include increasing the energy efficiency of the cement production process, switching to lower carbon fuels, improving material efficiency by reducing the clinker-to-cement ratio and implementing carbon capture and utilisation or sequestration technologies4. Currently, there are few efforts available and economically viable for the cement industry to develop low emission with a clear technology road map. Efforts are focused primarily on reducing the fossil fuels consumption by using alternative fuels, lowering the clinker to cement ratio, blended cement, renewable energy and clean energy technology such as waste heat recovery and Supplementary Cementitious Materials (SCMs such as fly ash and slag). Each of the above efforts has some benefits as well as limitations to utilise efficiently. In India, fly ash and slag (fossil based) are used widely as SCMs however, these cannot be a long-term solution since supply of both SCMs will decline as blast furnaces and coal-based power plants phase out. Therefore, all potential carbon reduction levers need to be exploited fully across all stages of the cement production process.
Advanced developments The Indian cement industry has always adopted the best available technology and process setups to become most efficient and sustainable. Indian cement industries are strengthening processes to reduce energy as well as process related carbon emissions through technology advancement, clinker substitution, usage of alternative fuel and raw materials, renewable energy sources such as ground mounted, roof top and floating solar power system, process optimisation, optimise waste heat recovery power generation, etc. At present, Indian cement industries are focusing on operational efficiency and utilising supplementary cementitious materials. Majority of carbon emission comes from cement production and through the supply chain. Both input of raw material from nearby sources and supply of finished goods contributes emissions in a large amount. Moreover, the cement industry employed advanced process control systems and automation to optimise production parameters, reducing energy wastage and enhancing overall efficiency. Now, industry has real time monitoring and data analytics for operational parameters, energy consumption patterns to make better decision making to improve efficiency. In the present scenario, Indian cement producers are actively exploring lower-emission technologies like pre-calcining technology and multi-staged pre-calcining processes to effectively reduce CO2 emissions.
Opportunities ahead Cement concrete can be recycled under certain conditions and the original chemical process cannot be reversed. The industry, with the help of local bodies and competent authorities, can recover useful ingredients from end-of-life cement to reduce the amount of new clinker and hence encourage sustainability through natural resource conservation. The future challenge is linked with carbon emission from the whole process of cement manufacturing and its branding. At every process of Scope 1, 2 and 3 of greenhouse gas emissions, the cement industry needs to closely watch for checking, verification and monitoring aspects to prepare mitigation plans. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are some state-of-the-art technologies behind the new revolution in the cement industry. By introducing these powerful techniques, the industry can have a Smart Cement Plant, which can reduce consumption and increase productivity while complying with stringent emission standards. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are changing routine practice and process of business. AI is encouraging cement processes in a better way based on data science and analytics. The accuracy of raw mix design, optimise temperature in pyro-process, weighing scale and conveying and feeding of the material, chemical analysis and product design are few of the examples, achievable through adopting AI. Cement industry can use AI tools to optimise the usage of machines like mill, pre-heater, kiln and cooler to automate monitoring and control. As cement industries are going towards a more sustainable future, implementation of AI and automation can play a critical role in transforming cement manufacturing processes with significant reduction of carbon emissions through real time monitoring. AI systems and ML can reduce risk of accidents, sudden breakdown of machines, and improve quality products with less carbon emission. AI provides benefits in terms of equipment reliability, availability, efficiency and monitoring. Breakthrough technology like Carbon Capture Utilisation or Storage (CCUS) may become the best technology to minimise carbon emissions at source only. This can help industries to reduce their carbon footprint. The technology exists to clean up the carbon intensive sector, but it remains expensive. This is an urgent requirement to develop a financial tool, R&D and policy to make it economically viable. In coming years, CCUS and SCMs (clinker substitution) may impact the decarbonisation roadmap but both key technologies require R&D to implement and make it commercially viable. Besides, use of electrical vehicles, green fuels like CNG, LNG etc. in supply chain, nature-based solutions like afforestation and soil carbon sequestration/sink will also be helpful for the sustainability of cement business. The low carbon journey in India will generate opportunities for new jobs and green growth of industry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr Hitesh Sukhwal is the Deputy General Manager – Environment at Udaipur Cement Works. He is a passionate professional about sustainability in the cement industry.
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:
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
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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.
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.
