Cement Sector Investment Hinges on Profitability: Report

30 Dec 2024 CW Team

The Indian cement industry must significantly boost its profitability, with EBITDA surpassing Rs 1,000 per tonne, to justify future investments, according to an IKIGAI Asset Manager report. Despite strong demand and consolidation, achieving this profitability requires substantial pricing support. Currently, the industry achieves an EBITDA of Rs 800 per tonne, with a post-tax return on capital employed (ROCE) of only 3 per cent after accounting for depreciation and capacity utilization. To justify incremental investments, profitability needs to double. The report also highlights challenges such as the expiration of over 25 per cent of limestone mines by 2035 and the need for enhanced efficiencies and better pricing strategies. Renewable energy costs, offering cheaper alternatives to grid power, could help improve margins. The report stresses that cement pricing power remains weak, with prices increasing by just 50 per cent in the past decade, far behind inflation in other sectors. The next phase of growth for the industry will depend on optimising pricing strategies, increasing green energy use, and enhancing operational efficiencies to sustain profitability. (ANI)

Infrastructure Urban

11 Mar 2026

India Expands Semiconductor Training To 500 Institutions

Under the Chips to Startups programme of the India Semiconductor Mission, the Union minister responsible for Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and IT reported notable progress in talent development. He indicated that over the past four years substantial steps have been taken towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. World-class EDA tools have been deployed in 315 academic institutions across the country to provide students with practical exposure to chip design. These EDA tools are supported by leading global firms and are accessible t..

Delhi Institutions Support India Semiconductor Mission

The Government of India has prioritised talent development through training, upskilling and workforce development under the Chips to Startups initiative of the India Semiconductor Mission, with officials noting progress in four years towards a 10-year target of training 85,000 engineers in semiconductor design. Electronic design automation tools provided by Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens, Renesas, Ansys and AMD have been deployed in 315 academic institutions, enabling students to gain practical chip design experience. Chips have been fabricated and tested at the Semiconductor Laboratory, Mohali, a..

NHA Announces Winners Of NHCX Hackathon At IIT Hyderabad

The National Health Authority (NHA) has concluded the NHCX Hackathon under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) to stimulate innovation around the National Health Claims Exchange (NHCX). The winning teams presented their solutions at the NHCX Innovation Meet held at IIT Hyderabad during a two-day event in March 2026 that also served as the hackathon grand finale. The hackathon itself ran from 22 to 28 February 2026 and aimed to accelerate paperless, transparent claims processing across India. The event was organised with a range of ecosystem partners, including the Insurance Regulatory a..