Economy & Market

Mixed Signals

Published

14 years ago

October 31, 2011

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At the time of going to press there comes some positive news. Cement stocks have outperformed, as against other indices, at the stock market. The bigger enterprises such as ACC, Ambuja and UltraTech are doing well and this is befuddling the analysts. There are too many negatives for cement companies at the moment. Lower demand, margin pressure, lower capacity utilisation, higher input costs, lower-than-expected growth in profits and the decade’s lowest demand growth, and yet, investors seem to have reasons to believe that the cement sector will do well in the future.Not just cement, the seven other core infrastructure industries growth slowed down to 2.3 per cent for September as against 3.3 per cent during the same period a year ago, mainly due to rising cost of credit and inputs and weak demand. The same grew by 3.7 per cent in August. Steel and cement sectors are down and grew at a pace of 6.6 per cent and 0.9 per cent as against 11.7 per cent and 5.2 per cent during the same period last year. Experts blame this slowdown on decline in coal production. According to economists construction, a prime reason for decline of cement demand, has been the weakest component of the GDP. The cement sector is hoping that these. figures are more likely because of the monsoon.Our cover story features Shree Cement, which has been named one of the 16 new sustainable champions in the world by the World Economic Forum and the Boston Consulting Group. It is a matter of pride that an Indian cement enterprise (another Indian winner is Suzlon) has won this accolade. The organisation deserves to be on the cover and their action needs to be emulated by one and all in the sector. We also feature Lafarge cement in spotlight and an interview with Umesh Shrivasthava, Executive Chairman of Holtec Consulting, apart from our regular features on technology, products, prices and stock update.Please send in your feedback/letters toeditorial@indiancementreview.com

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

6 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

6 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

6 hours ago

April 13, 2026

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Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.