Economy & Market

NHAI has approved our our cement for their projects

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

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Rajan Vadalia, Managing Director, Hi- Bond Cement

Hailing from the renowned group of Kishan Group of Companies, Hi-Bond Cement celebrates its debut in the cement industry by announcing an expansion plans in Gujarat. Rajan Vadalia, Managing Director, Hi- Bond Cement, talks to ICR about their views on the current scenario of the cement industry, sustainability initiatives and much more.

What is your view on the current scenario of the Indian cement industry?

The cement industry is facing a series of problems, one is the over capacity in southern region, the other is the constant slow down in the growth of the GDP lastly poor export demand has put the industry into a deep mess which is now the matter of concern.

Owing to the financial crisis last year, how has your company performed financially in the year 2012?

This being is the first year of operation and we had a trial production for quite some time, due to these reasons financial strains were bound to be there and we were ready for it.

How many plants does the company have and what are your strategies behind operating in only in Gujarat and is your market share in the state and is the company planning to add capacity in the production unit or planning to expand?

Our Group (Promoters), Kishan Industries, has got three cement plants two with vertical shaft Kiln and Hi-Bond cement with Rotary Kiln. We produce OPC grade 53 and PPC – flyash based cement. The Hi-Bond plant is of 0.9 million tonne per annum capacity which is now being too expanded to 1.2 million tonne per annum. Cement being a bulk material and logistic cost is a major cost component and is economical to market cement only in Gujarat. Our total production is less than 7 per cent of the total cement consumption of Gujarat and it is not difficult to market the product within the state of Gujarat. Once our expansion is complete, we intend to go public by restructuring the company which is a private company, fully owned by owners. Once this is done we intend to expand our tentacles to the adjoining states preferably Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh. We intend to do this by setting up a green field project.

For the cement industry, consolidation remains the key; does the company intend any acquisitions or tie ups in the near future?

Yes, we would like to tie up with bigger companies in this business and expand our wings in other states.

How do you keep in pace with the latest technologies for your cement plant?

Our suppliers have assured us that they would incorporate new technologies in the plant as and when upgraded to keep pace with changes in the technology.

Kindly tell us about the sustainability initiatives taken by the company and highlight the clients that the company has worked with?

We have planted trees all around our factory in which we are using the drained out water and also sewage water and have made the complete environment green. All raw material are covered including clinker, coal and limestone and gypsum so that the emission of dust is negligible. The ESP system works 24 hours with 100 per cent efficiency. We are also planning to install a waste heat recovery plant. We are responsible stewardship of the natural environment and the protection of human health. Recognising the environmental implications of our activities, we are continually striving to improve our environmental performance by setting and reviewing measurable objectives and targets associated with our operations. We seek to minimise natural resource consumption, waste, and adverse environmental impacts optimise the use of technology and pursuit of our economic objectives. The company has worked on various projects. Namely Classic Network – Rajkot, Krunal Structure, Patel Infrastructure, Lafarge Aggregates Concrete, RMC Readymix India (A Division of Prism Cement) and many more.

Kindly throw light on your dealer network and kindly tell us the projects on which you have worked?

We have closely knitted network of more than 600 dealers with 22 market organisers to co-ordinate with them and support them financially with a team of 40 strong marketing men. Despite being only eight months old in production, our product has been widely acclaimed by one and all including precast industry, pre-fab industry. Also we have worked on various multistoried buildings and ready-mix industry. NHAI has also approved our cement for their projects. All thanks to the high quality standards that our company follows and which also happens to be the USP.

It is said that energy and logistics are the biggest costs for the cement industry, how does the company cut down the expenses on the same?

To mitigate logistic cost we have limited our marketing area within the average radius of 300 km and for energy we are planning power through waste heat recovery.

The development of the rural areas would contribute to the growth in demand of cement. Comment?

Yes, it is true. Rural India needs too much development. Even if ‘kachha’ houses are converted into ‘pakka’ houses the demand for cement consumption would rise by two fold. However a lot depends on the government policies.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

4 days ago

October 9, 2026

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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

5 days ago

October 8, 2026

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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.”

Concrete

UltraTech becomes first Indian cement firm to cross 2 GW green energy

Published

6 days ago

October 7, 2026

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UltraTech Cement has crossed 2 GW of captive green energy capacity, with renewables and waste heat recovery meeting 48 per cent of its power needs.

Mumbai

UltraTech Cement Limited has surpassed 2 GW of installed green energy capacity for captive use, becoming the first cement company in India to achieve the milestone. The Aditya Birla Group company commissioned 116.55 MW of wind capacity at its Inter-State Transmission System-connected wind-solar hybrid project in Barmer, Rajasthan, along with 10 MW of Waste Heat Recovery System capacity at Sarlanagar Cement Works in Karnataka.

With these additions, UltraTech’s cumulative installed green energy capacity has reached 2,024 MW. This includes 1,580 MW of renewable energy capacity and 444 MW of waste heat recovery capacity, together meeting around 48 per cent of the company’s current power requirements.

The company said the milestone reflects the progress of its long-term energy transition strategy. In FY27 so far, nearly one-third of UltraTech’s 76 manufacturing units in India have maintained green energy utilisation above 50 per cent of their electricity requirements, while five units have crossed 95 per cent.

K C Jhanwar, Managing Director, UltraTech Cement Limited, said, “Crossing the 2 GW green energy milestone is the result of a strategy we have pursued consistently over the past decade. Cement is an energy-intensive, hard-to-abate sector, and showing that reliability and growth can go hand in hand with a rapid shift to green energy sets a benchmark for the industry. With nearly half of our power needs now met through green energy, we are significantly less exposed to fossil fuel supply constraints and power price volatility. As we scale up renewables, waste heat recovery and battery storage across our operations, we are building an energy foundation for stable, long-term growth.”

UltraTech commissioned 430 MW of green energy capacity in FY26 and continues to expand its renewable energy and waste heat recovery portfolio.

The company is also progressively integrating Battery Energy Storage Systems across its operations to improve renewable energy utilisation and supply reliability.

In 2025, UltraTech operationalised what it described as India’s first on-site hybrid round-the-clock renewable energy project at Sewagram Cement Works in Gujarat. The project combines solar, wind and battery storage.

As part of its decarbonisation strategy, UltraTech said it has not invested in new captive thermal power capacity for either greenfield projects or brownfield expansions at its integrated units for more than a decade.

The company said its expanding green energy portfolio is helping reduce dependence on conventional grid electricity and fossil fuel-based power, while lowering exposure to fluctuations in coal and electricity prices.

UltraTech aims to increase green energy’s share in its total power mix to 85 per cent by 2030. As a member of RE100, it has also committed to meeting 100 per cent of its electricity requirement through renewable sources by 2050.

UltraTech Cement, the cement flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has a total grey cement capacity of 210.1 MTPA and white cement and putty capacity of 3.5 MTPA. The company is also a signatory to the GCCA Climate Ambition 2050 and has committed to the GCCA Net Zero Concrete roadmap.