Economy & Market

Like any other investment, marketing and branding must also give good returns.

Published

5 years ago

October 14, 2021

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BK Singh

Sr. ED-Group Marketing & Corporate Communication Dalmia Cement (Bharat)

Dalmia Cement (Bharat) bagged two awards at the Global Brand Excellence Awards 2013, an event organised by the World Brand Congress in Mumbai. The company was felicitated with the Â´Effective use of Marketing Communication AwardÂ´ for higher alite low celite (HALC) campaign in the North East and also the Â´Emerging Brand-North EastÂ´ award. ICR interacted with BK Singh to know what lies behind their award-winning performance. Excerpts.

How important is branding for cement industry?

Branding is certainly important for all the stakeholders. To customers, it offers assurance, and to masons, it helps developing a reputation in the market. A branded product is easy to sell for dealers. They can focus more on their business rather than convincing a customer about the merits of a product.

Do you have different branding strategies for rural and urban markets?

Yes. The strategy does vary depending on the awareness of the consumer about the product. In rural areas, consumers depend on different sources of assurance such as friends, relatives, masons, contractors, etc. Social marketing and influencer management plays a key role.

Does celebrity endorsement add value to a brand?

Value derived from celebrity endorsement depends on the market situation. For new or relatively lesser-known products, celebrity endorsement helps significantly as it adds a sense of familiarity and assurance to the product. Whereas, if the product is well established, then celebrity endorsement does not have much impact. Branding via celebrity endorsements also depends on the type of industry. For a lifestyle product, celebrity brings value, but for a functional product, celebrity endorsement may not be that relevant.

How does one evaluate RoI in branding?

Marketing and branding, like any other investment, must give good returns. We measure RoIs on the basis of several success metrics. A good branding exercise will pay off in the terms of increased market share, increased pricing power, or generation of a new niche segment for the product. It pays in all or a combination of these areas. The time required to get these results depends on the type of effect you are trying to bring in. If it is some discount or instant gratification to consumers, the results will be visible immediately. Brand building is a slow process, and the results will start getting reflected one year after the branding exercise starts.

IsnÂ´t it simpler to incentivise dealers to sell a product rather than spending on branding efforts?

A dealerÂ´s primary role is to make the product available to the consumer and increase its market reach. Giving incentive to dealer does give an initial push to sales but that does not last long. After all it is tedious for the dealer to explain the benefits of a product to the consumer every time. He will rather want to stock a product, which is demanded by the consumer. Branding creates that pull from the customer.

According to me, both-branding exercise and incentives to dealers-are important tools for marketing a product. One should use these tools depending on the situation. In a new market, incentives to dealers may help but the brand must subsequently stand on its own.

Concrete

Fornnax Wins AIRIA’s Special Export Award for Rubber Machinery in 2025-26

Published

6 days ago

October 19, 2026

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Fornnax Technology Pvt. Ltd. has been honoured with the Special Export Award – Rubber Machinery for 2025–26 by the All-India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), in recognition of its highest exports of tyre recycling plants to the European region.

With more than a decade of experience in India’s tyre recycling industry, Fornnax has contributed to the development of advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure. The company currently holds a 90% market share in India’s domestic tyre recycling sector, while exports account for 30% of its business, spanning markets such as Europe, Australia and the GCC.

The award marks another milestone for Fornnax, whose tyre recycling lines and advanced shredding technologies are supporting the growth of the circular economy in India and international markets.

Commenting on the recognition, Mr. Jignesh Kundaria, Founder and Director of Fornnax, said:

“This honour from AIRIA is a reflection of an incredible journey we have undertaken over the years. When we started Fornnax, there was no established recycling industry in India to follow. We chose to build for the future instead. Today, when you see India’s tyre recycling sector, it has already transformed into a dynamic, high-growth industry and we are extremely proud to have played our part in building it.”

Unlike standalone equipment suppliers, Fornnax focuses on developing complete, high-capacity recycling infrastructure. Its integrated systems combine multiple stages of shredding and size reduction to enable efficient, continuous operations. This system-level engineering approach helps recycling operators improve throughput, equipment reliability and operational consistency.

The recognition reinforces Fornnax’s commitment to developing engineering technologies that contribute to a more efficient and circular recycling ecosystem.

Looking ahead, the company aims to expand its international presence while continuing to develop advanced shredding and recycling solutions to address the growing volumes and evolving requirements of the global recycling industry.

For more information, visit: www.fornnax.com

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

2 weeks 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

2 weeks 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.”