Concrete

The government needs to strictly enforce cement usage in rural and urban roads

Published

11 years ago

January 31, 2015

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Faisal Alam, President-Sales & Marketing, Kalyanpur Cement
Overall cement demand will go up which will increase the present capacity utilisation levels from 50-60 per cent to around 80 per cent, says Faisal Alam, President-Sales & Marketing, Kalyanpur Cement. Excerpts from the interview…Which sectors will drive cement demand in 2015?
According to the recent Government of India guidelines, most of the highways and roads will be built using concrete. This should have happened much earlier. If this happens, infrastructure demand will take the lead as is the case in China. The gap between China and India as first and second largest producer of cement in the world is primarily on account of cement being used in roads and bridges in China. The overall specs of the roads is for 100 years or more horizon. Rest of the sectors will grow at 7 to 8 per cent.

What will be the likely demand-supply scenario in 2015?
This will depend on cement usage in roads and bridges. In case of 100 per cent conversion to cement for road and highway building, the overall growth may easily reach double-digit figures. That will lead to demand outstripping supply (at 100 per cent capacity utilisation) but in not less than a year and a half time. We are yet to catch up with developed nations in as far as FAR vs Road width vs height is concerned. The emphasis on low-cost housing will also make a difference if it is well supported by government. This is a more important area than building smart cities.

What is your estimate on the cement prices in 2015 and how will it impact the market?
Cement prices will cross Rs 400 mark per bag across the country in order that cement companies survive in line with rising costs and a huge tax burden.

What is the export/import scenario in 2015 for cement and its raw materials?
Export levels will go up but not at a very large variance than what has been in recent years because I believe Indian cement will be dearer with rupee consolidating against foreign currencies. Raw material import will go up, specially coal and gypsum.

What are the policy initiatives you expect from the government?
The government needs to strictly enforce cement usage in ?all? roads, rural or urban. Improve building laws to encourage sky scrapers on smaller footprints, incentivise low cost housing, reduce interest rates on housing loans and also reduce income tax rates on disposable income.

Increase coal output in the country by bringing in modern technology for higher output of coal. Simultaneously, encourage R&D at premier institutes to substitute usage of coal (gas pipelines?) Better roads are needed. Also encourage washeries so that less ash and more coal is transported. Today, coal is Railways? highest transported commodity followed by steel and cement. Average ash from pit is in the range of 30-40 per cent. Railways is therefore transporting huge amount of ash which is further leading to disposal problems of fly ash at thermal power plants.

Concrete

Nuvoco Vistas Reports Record Q2 EBITDA, Expands Capacity to 35 MTPA

Cement Major Nuvoco Posts Rs 3.71 bn EBITDA in Q2 FY26

Published

5 days ago

October 22, 2025

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Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd., one of India’s leading building materials companies, has reported its highest-ever second-quarter consolidated EBITDA of Rs 3.71 billion for Q2 FY26, reflecting an 8% year-on-year revenue growth to Rs 24.58 billion. Cement sales volume stood at 4.3 MMT during the quarter, driven by robust demand and a rising share of premium products, which reached an all-time high of 44%.

The company continued its deleveraging journey, reducing like-to-like net debt by Rs 10.09 billion year-on-year to Rs 34.92 billion. Commenting on the performance, Jayakumar Krishnaswamy, Managing Director, said, “Despite macro headwinds, disciplined execution and focus on premiumisation helped us achieve record performance. We remain confident in our structural growth trajectory.”

Nuvoco’s capacity expansion plans remain on track, with refurbishment of the Vadraj Cement facility progressing towards operationalisation by Q3 FY27. In addition, the company’s 4 MTPA phased expansion in eastern India, expected between December 2025 and March 2027, will raise its total cement capacity to 35 MTPA by FY27.

Reinforcing its sustainability credentials, Nuvoco continues to lead the sector with one of the lowest carbon emission intensities at 453.8 kg CO? per tonne of cementitious material.

Concrete

Jindal Stainless to Invest $150 Mn in Odisha Metal Recovery Plant

New Jajpur facility to double metal recovery capacity and cut emissions

Published

1 week ago

October 17, 2025

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Jindal Stainless Limited has announced an investment of $150 million to build and operate a new wet milling plant in Jajpur, Odisha, aimed at doubling its capacity to recover metal from industrial waste. The project is being developed in partnership with Harsco Environmental under a 15-year agreement.

The facility will enable the recovery of valuable metals from slag and other waste materials, significantly improving resource efficiency and reducing environmental impact. The initiative aligns with Jindal Stainless’s sustainability roadmap, which focuses on circular economy practices and low-carbon operations.

In financial year 2025, the company reduced its carbon footprint by about 14 per cent through key decarbonisation initiatives, including commissioning India’s first green hydrogen plant for stainless steel production and setting up the country’s largest captive solar energy plant within a single industrial campus in Odisha.

Shares of Jindal Stainless rose 1.8 per cent to Rs 789.4 per share following the announcement, extending a 5 per cent gain over the past month.

Concrete

Vedanta gets CCI Approval for Rs 17,000 MnJaiprakash buyout

Acquisition marks Vedanta’s expansion into cement, real estate, and infra

Published

1 week ago

October 17, 2025

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Vedanta Limited has received approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to acquire Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) for approximately Rs 17,000 million under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) process. The move marks Vedanta’s strategic expansion beyond its core mining and metals portfolio into cement, real estate, and infrastructure sectors.

Once the flagship of the Jaypee Group, JAL has faced severe financial distress with creditors’ claims exceeding Rs 59,000 million. Vedanta emerged as the preferred bidder in a competitive auction, outbidding the Adani Group with an overall offer of Rs 17,000 million, equivalent to Rs 12,505 million in net present value terms. The payment structure involves an upfront settlement of around Rs 3,800 million, followed by annual instalments of Rs 2,500–3,000 million over five years.

The National Asset Reconstruction Company Limited (NARCL), which acquired the group’s stressed loans from a State Bank of India-led consortium, now leads the creditor committee. Lenders are expected to take a haircut of around 71 per cent based on Vedanta’s offer. Despite approvals for other bidders, Vedanta’s proposal stood out as the most viable resolution plan, paving the way for the company’s diversification into new business verticals.