Economy & Market

A good Budget for the Villager, and also the Cement Industry

Published

10 years ago

July 4, 2016

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"….quit like the manufacturing and services sectors depend on quality of infrastructure for their competitiveness, our agriculture also will be able to make a difference, in terms of productivity and competitiveness, if supported by proper facilities like irrigation, rural roads, access to markets, electricity and telecommunications? ?this is what we had to say in one of our editorial pieces last year. Therefore, it goes without saying, that we are delighted to see all the rural investments and initiatives the government has proposed in Budget 2016/17. This has to do with irrigation, roads, sanitation, electricity connections, public transportation systems ? all in our villages. Add to this the large monies and/or effort earmarked for the Panchayats, MNREGA, interest subvention on agricultural loans, croreop Insurance Scheme, rural LPG connections for poor women, direct benefit transfer for fertilisers, PURA and many more such small and big proposals, and we have a Budget that is finally designed for the hitherto forgotten villager. We truly wish that collectively, we succeed in implementing these initiatives, and thereby achieve the goal of doubling our farmers?income by 2022 (do not know if it is nominal income or real (inflation adjusted) income))!

The only discordant note in this rural thrust, is the absence of anything of substance for the schools and health centres in villages, on the facile pretext that this is now in the states? territory. We think that the Central Government of a large, diverse and developing country like India can ill afford to take a hollow and superficial position like that. Instead, it should go about formulating health and education strategies and developing recommended model policies for the states to implement, with much more urgency. The government will fail in its duties if it were not to mentor the states in this matter of truly national importance.

Where does this leave our manufacturing or services sectors, or for that matter, our slogans of Make in India, Skill India and Smart Cities? What happens to Start Up India or AMRUT or Sagarmala? Other than roads and highways, the Budget has disappointed all other infrastructure segments like ports, airports and urban infrastructure. Take, for example, the pet project Smart Cities, where a provision of Rs 3,200 crore has been made, against a requirement of Rs 10,000 crore. Take AMRUT, where money provided is Rs 4,000 crore against an estimated requirement of Rs 15,000 crore. Against a demand of Rs 33,000 crore for metros all over the country, only Rs 10,000 crore has been allocated. In the current year, the roads and highways sector has done reasonably well even in the face of headwinds, and has been amply rewarded with a provision of upward of Rs 1 lakh crore. This augurs well not only for travellers but also for road contractors and developers in the immediate term. What about Cement companies? All of this will need Cement and Concroreete in large quantities, and we feel this budget is going to trigger a much awaited upswing in the consumption of cement in the country from the later half of FY 2017

With the emphasis on roads, railways, housing, irrigation (and not so much directly on Make in India), one can safely expect a spurt in demand of skilled construction workers. There are two or three serious implications of this. One ? this will further incroreease the bias of employment opportunities in seasonal/informal/unorganised sectors, which are very weak on welfare measures and protection of workers? rights. Secondly, construction projects may get delayed due to shortage of skilled labour, caused by demand ? supply imbalance in the labour market. On one side, we have a potential growth in construction projects, and on the other side, possible improvements in wage opportunities in villages. The construction companies will have to find answers to this complex issue.

Concrete

Wonder Cement appoints Mahesh Singh as VP Corporate Brand Communication

Published

1 week 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

1 week 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

1 week 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.