Concrete

Manufacturing process of Instamix Xpress is different as compared to wet concrete

Published

5 years ago

October 19, 2021

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Nuvoco came in the light when it acquired L&T?? ready-mix concrete business in 2008. Since then it has established itself not only as a cement producer but a player with innovative construction materials. It has successfully transformed itself from cement manufacturer to a building material supplier with a wide range of products. Prashant Jha, Chief of Ready Mixed Business, Nuvoco, speaks on one of the innovations he has recently launched.

Prashant Jha

Explain the idea behind introducing a new product during the pandemic. What is the market size, and what kind of growth do you expect from this product?

Through our interactions with customers and market studies, we observed that the construction industry is facing challenges of manufacturing concrete at the site due to the non-availability of superior quality raw materials like cement, sand, and aggregates. In the current scenario, the majority of small concrete work is done by mixing cement, aggregates, and water at the site. Then there is the issue of wastage of raw materials.

Most of the sites are still using the volumetric batching method, which generally results in poor quality concrete at site. Further due to the pandemic situation, there is a shortage of labour, moreover getting labour to do small jobs is generally a problem. All these factors resulted in an increased demand for well-graded pre-mix bag concrete. Although there are no published records, we are estimating the all India market size is more than 10,000 tonne per month, and it would be growing at 15 per cent per annum.

What is the manufacturing process ??is it the same as wet concrete? What is the batch size?

InstaMix Xpress is a pre-blended mixture of cement, sand, and aggregates with special admixtures, requiring only the addition of water before pouring the concrete. It is produced in a controlled environment and is fast, easy-to-use, and ready-to-pour in just three steps ??open, mix, and pour.

One needs to do is open the bag in a pan or mechanical mixer as per the requirement; add four to five litres of potable water per bag and mix the concrete uniformly; and finally, pour the preparation without making a mess. The manufacturing process of Instamix Xpress is entirely different as compared to wet concrete. In InstaMix Xpress, we have to ensure that there is 0 per cent moisture at any stage of production till packaging of the product. It is available in 50 kg special moisture-proof sealed bags, which are tested for quality. Batch size depends on the transit mixer capacity, which varies from 500 kg to 2,000 kg.

Is there any shelf life for the product?

Yes, it is good for use till three months of production.

Is the product covered under any BIS code? OR is the code in the draft stage?

No at this stage it is not covered under any BIS codes; however drafting of code for dry concrete is under process.

What has been the response from the users?

Initially, we have launched InstaMix Xpress in East and Northeast markets and the response is very encouraging. Structural consultants and contractors prefer to use the M-30 and M-40 grade of concrete, which is not possible to produce at the site and ready-mix concrete is not available in remote areas. InstaMix Xpress is an ideal solution as it is a pre-mixed, ready-to-use, bagged, dry concrete, which can be easily transported to these far-flung areas. Looking at the response, we are planning to launch this product in Northern and Western India very soon.

Does any other cement manufacturer cater the consumers with a similar product?

Yes, a few cement manufacturers tried to produce at the local level ready-mix plants but they were not able to control the quality of the product.

To what extent the strength will be compromised if more water is used or if the product is used beyond stipulated period?

It all depends on how much excess water has been added or how long InstaMix Xpress has been stored beyond the three months shelf life. We recommend using four to five litres of water per 50 kg bag (depending on the grade of concrete). If the product is used beyond the stipulated period, [definitely] the compressive strength will reduce from 10 to 50 per cent.

Concrete

UltraTech Cement FY26 PAT Crosses Rs 80 bn

Company reports record sales, profit and 200 MTPA capacity milestone

Published

12 hours ago

April 29, 2026

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UltraTech Cement reported record financial performance for Q4 and FY26, supported by strong volumes, higher profitability and improved cost efficiency. Consolidated net sales for Q4 FY26 rose 12 per cent year-on-year to Rs 254.67 billion, while PBIDT increased 20 per cent to Rs 56.88 billion. PAT, excluding exceptional items, grew 21 per cent to Rs 30.11 billion.

For FY26, consolidated net sales stood at Rs 873.84 billion, up 17 per cent from Rs 749.36 billion in FY25. PBIDT rose 32 per cent to Rs 175.98 billion, while PAT increased 36 per cent to Rs 83.05 billion, crossing the Rs 80 billion mark for the first time.

India grey cement volumes reached 42.41 million tonnes in Q4 FY26, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, with capacity utilisation at 89 per cent. Full-year India grey cement volumes stood at 145 million tonnes. Energy costs declined 3 per cent, aided by a higher green power mix of 43 per cent in Q4.

The company’s domestic grey cement capacity has crossed 200 MTPA, reaching 200.1 MTPA, while global capacity stands at 205.5 MTPA. UltraTech also recommended a special dividend of Rs 2.40 billion per share value basis equivalent to Rs 240.

Concrete

Towards Mega Batching

Optimised batching can drive overall efficiencies in large projects.

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2026

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India’s pace of infrastructure development is pushing the construction sector to work at a significantly higher scale than previously. Tight deadlines necessitate eliminating concreting delays, especially in large and mega projects, which, in turn, imply installing the right batching plant and ensuring batching is efficient. CW explores these steps as well as the gaps in India’s batching plant market.

Choose well

Large-scale infrastructure and building projects typically involve concrete consumption exceeding 30,000-50,000 cum per annum or demand continuous, high-volume pours within compressed timelines, according to Rahul R Wadhai, DGM – Quality, Tata Projects.

Considering the daily need for concrete, “large-scale concreting involves pouring more than 1,000–2,000 cum per day while mega projects involve more than 3,000 cum per day,” says Satish R Vachhani, Advanced Concrete & Construction Consultant…

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Concrete

Andhra Offers Discom Licences To Private Firms Outside Power Sector

Policy allows firms over 300 MW to seek distribution licences

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2026

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The Andhra Pradesh government will allow private firms that require more than 300 megawatt (MW) of power to apply for distribution licences, making the state the first to extend such licences beyond the power sector. The policy targets information technology, pharmaceuticals, steel and data centres and aims to reduce reliance on state utilities as demand rises for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Approved applicants will be able to procure electricity directly from generators through power purchase agreements, a change officials said will create more competitive tariffs and reduce supply risk. Licence holders will use the Andhra Pradesh Transmission Company (APTRANSCO) network on payment of charges and will not need a separate distribution network initially.

Licences will be granted under the Electricity Act, 2003 framework, with the Central and State electricity regulators retaining authority over terms and approvals. The recent Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sought to lower entry barriers, enable network sharing and encourage competition, while the state commission will set floor and ceiling tariffs where multiple discoms operate.

Industry players and original equipment manufacturers welcomed the policy, saying competitive supply is vital for large data centre investments. Major projects and partnerships such as those involving Adani and Google, Brookfield and Reliance, and Meta and Sify Technologies are expected to benefit as capacity expands in the state.

Analysts noted India’s data centre capacity is forecast to reach 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and cited International Energy Agency estimates that global data centre electricity consumption could approach 945 terawatt hours by the same year. A one GW data centre needs an equivalent power allocation and one point five times the water, which authorities equated to 150 billion litres (150 bn litres).

Advisers warned that distribution licences will require close regulation and monitoring to prevent misuse and to ensure tariffs and supply obligations are met. Officials said the policy aims to balance investor requirements with regulatory oversight and could serve as a model for other states.