According to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency India (BEE India), India is the second largest producer of cement in the world.

Over the last 18 years, Nuvoco Vistas Corp has emerged as one of the major players in India through various greenfield and brownfield projects.

Considering the geographic presence of Indian cement plants, it is impossible to curb the logistic cost, which is higher compared to any other industry in the country. Nitin Vyas, MD and CEO, Beumer India, believes that if Indian cement industry adopts inland water transport, the industry can save around Rs 4-5 per bag.

It was nearly a year ago that nine of the leading global majors in the cement and concrete sector, including CEMEX, CNBM, CRH, Dangote, Eurocement, HeidelbergCement, LafargeHolcim, Taiheiyo and Votorantim, launched the Global Cement & Concrete Association (GCCA).

With over three decades of experience behind him in the sector, Dr Shailendra Chouksey, Whole-Time Director, JK Lakshmi Cement is often credited with having transformed the perception of cement as just another commodity to branded category.

India is the world's second largest region for cement - both in terms of production and consumption. Growth in the cement industry is driven by investments in infrastructure, housing and urban development.

If you look at quality control part of the Indian cement business, we have come up with a solution that is completely modular. In India, quality control is not given the right kind of importance in terms of allocation of funds.

AAC block market has grown approximately 20-25 per cent every year. Out of the three main players in AAC, Magicrete is one of them, also being the pioneer of AAC blocks in India. We hold as much as 15 per cent share currently in India.

Makarand Marathe, Director, Cement Division, Thyssenkrupp Industries India (tkII) believes that even as India’s demand for cement shows signs of gradual recovery, equipment makers need to prepare themselves to engage with an increasingly discerning customer.