Economy & Market

Up and Down the Cement Chain

Published

8 years ago

January 11, 2019

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The data on growth of core sectors have just come in for September and it shows a decline of -5 per cent, the highest degrowth that this index has seen since the inception of new base year of 2012. Among all round decline of various sectors, cement has reported a back to back decline of 2 per cent on top of a 5 per cent shrinkage in August. It was just a couple of months back that the observers were gung ho about recovery in the sector. While the near term fortunes of the cement sector thus fluctuates up and down, we are covering in this issue of Indian Cement Review, a couple of critical inputs and outputs of cement, up and down the value chain.

This time, we have come with a offering of perspectives around concrete and gypsum. One is a downstream value-added product of cement, with which we all are reasonably familiar, since concrete is almost synonymous with construction, while the other is a vital raw material of cement, which by contrast, is lesser known among the lay persons. With this combination, we move up and down the cement value-chain, and investigate the connected emerging issues.

We like the subject of gypsum because the issues around procurement of this commodity are interesting and complex at the same time. Traditionally, cement has been manufactured by co-grinding of clinker with mineral gypsum. Over the last two decades however, the limited amount of mineral deposits of gypsum in India, predominantly in the state of Rajasthan and a little bit in Jammu, have come under pressure due to increased demand as cement consumption grew. Alongside, the other consuming industries of mineral gypsum, such as Gypboards, finishing plaster materials, etc., also hiked their demands. Slowly, deliveries and prices of mineral gypsum came under strain, and quite obviously, our cement companies started looking at imports of mineral gypsum from Bhutan, Thailand, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

As with all imports, such procurement strategies expose a cement plant to the additional risks of fluctuations in currency and freight rates, over and above the usual risks of elongated supply chain uncertainties.

We believe that these factors led the industry to look for synthetic substitutes of mineral gypsum from fertiliser/copper industry. Now, such chemical substitutes were known previously as well, but did not find favour with process engineers due to adjustments needed to be experimented with, in the raw mix and in the process, to arrive at a stable cement quality. As the old saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention", the difficulties in procuring indigenous mineral gypsum, and the risks associated with importation of foreign mineral gypsum incentivised the cement sector to learn and assimilate the process tweaks necessary to use chemical gypsum available as by products of other chemical/metallurgical industries. This approach gave the cement plants also a small opportunity of cost reduction.

It is this complex interplay of factors of quality, process, cost and availability, that makes for an absorbing discussion on the topic of gypsum.

Concrete

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

Published

2 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.”