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Cement

"Enhancing Well-being: Discovering the Power of Mindfulness"

Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India Holcim and Managing Director and CEO, Ambuja Cements, draws a clear path for sustainable shift towards blended cement, which would lead to lesser use of clinker, thereby enabling the industry to reach its decarbonisation targets. In today’s wor...

Neeraj Akhoury, CEO India Holcim and Managing Director and CEO, Ambuja Cements, draws a clear path for sustainable shift towards blended cement, which would lead to lesser use of clinker, thereby enabling the industry to reach its decarbonisation targets. In today’s world, cement stands shoulder to shoulder with core sectors like steel, energy and others as one of the key building blocks to nation building. With the current market size of $325 billion, the cement industry (in GDP terms) would rank among the top 50 industrialised nations in the world today. By 2028, this market is expected to grow to $460 billion. And when that happens, the global cement industry would have raced past another dozen or more countries in GDP terms. Leaders in the cement sector across the world are not only aware of the opportunity this represents, but the weight of the responsibility that comes with it. Almost all major cement producers have committed themselves to a Net Zero future, an important decarbonisation movement that has also taken the larger industrial world by storm. Planning Ahead In the cement sector, we have identified every stage in the value chain as a potential target for decarbonisation. The execution of this change is happening within the bigger framework of ‘Circular Economy’. In simple terms, the principles of circular economy pushes manufacturers to treat every material (natural and processed) to be used in perpetuity. A key element in this system is the ability to cut down or reduce as one of the three Rs, along with reuse and recycling to achieve long term sustainability. For the cement sector, one of the focus areas has been reduction of the use of clinkers in the manufacturing process, or what in industry parlance is called ‘clinker factor’. Clinker is an intermediary material used in the production of cement. The reduction of clinker factor is achieved by replacing it with alternative blending materials like pozzolana, slag or fly ash (industrial waste) to produce blended cements. This reduces the carbon intensity of the cement—a primary lever for reduction of carbon emissions. So, the more we shift towards blended cement, the lesser will be the use of clinker and thus move the cement industry closer to its ultimate decarbonisation targets. The growing demand for blended cement in a country like India is particularly very effective in combating climate change. India is today the second-largest cement producer and consumer, with the share of blended cement of around 75 per cent of our total production mix. However, India’s per capita cement consumption at around 235 kg is less than half of the global average (520 kg). Surging Demand The economic growth we are foreseeing over the next few years and decades including the target of becoming a $5 trillion GDP will push the demand for cement to much higher levels. The surge in demand for cement can be environmentally sustained only by our efforts to push for wider use of blended and green cement. From the manufacturers point of view such a shift is already gaining a lot of momentum through more investment in R&D-led innovation to improve products and processes and in no small measure a strong and consistent consumer-focussed advocacy. As one of the leading markets for cement in the world, this is an historic opportunity for India to establish its leadership in the true sense of the word.

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Infrastructure Energy

L&T to Build India’s Largest Green Hydrogen Plant for IOCL

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Infrastructure Urban

Bansal Wire Q1 Profit Rises 24.6% to Rs 393 Mn

Bansal Wire Industries, India’s largest stainless steel wire manufacturer and second-largest steel wire maker by volume, reported a 24.6 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to Rs 393 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 (Q1 FY26).During the quarter, revenue rose 14.9 per cent YoY to Rs 9,390 million, while EBITDA increased by 19.6 per cent YoY to Rs 745 million, reflecting the company's strong operational performance and focus on value-added segments.According to Pranav Bansal, MD & CEO of Bansal Wire Industries, the company has started FY26 on a strong note, building on the ..

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Infrastructure Urban

Lemon Tree Opens Keys Lite Hotel in Banswara, Rajasthan

Lemon Tree Hotels has launched its latest property, Keys Lite by Lemon Tree Hotels, Banswara, further expanding its footprint in Rajasthan. This marks the group’s 11th operational hotel in the state and continues its focus on providing quality stays in emerging travel destinations.The newly launched managed hotel features 54 well-appointed rooms, a multi-cuisine restaurant – Keys Café, a fitness centre, and spacious banquet and conference facilities, catering to both leisure and business travellers.Located in southern Rajasthan, Banswara is known as the “City of Hundred Islands” for t..

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