Home News Conferences Magazine Directory Video Knowledge Base Jobs Login Run Advertise About

Magazine Articles The 'Incredible' Indian cement industry

@ The 'Incredible' Indian cement industry

The 'Incredible' Indian cement industry

Written by PeterEdwards, Global CementMagazine15Feb",ary 2013

The Republic of India occupies the bulk of the Indian subcontinent, the geographicalregion that is also home to Bangladesh and Pakistan in central southern Asia. The

world's largest democracy1 and third largest economy in tenns of purchasing powerparity, India is the second most populous country after China, a position also held by itsincredible cement industry...

Many diverse populations have been attracted to the fertile territories that constitute modem-dayIndia over the millennia, combining to create a unique modem cutture, Peoples arriving from

parts of modem Afghanistan, Turkey and Arabia merged with native Hindu cultures and thecountry flourished as a trade cross-roads from around 400 onwards, with development of classicalscience, maths, art and wider culture.

In the early 16th Century the Mughal Dynasty began, folloWing invasion by central Asian warriors.The Mughal powers administered new administative systems that encouraged market-basedtrade and unified disperate groups through inclusive systems, which enabled a period ofincreased political and social stability.

At around the same time as the start of the Mughal Dynasty, European explorers weredeveloping staging posts along the coast of modem India. By the tum of the 1800s, Great Britainhad the largest influence of the colonial powers. Britain officially ruled India from 1858 to 1947, aperiod known as the British Raj, that also covered parts of modem-day Pakistan, Myanmar andBangladesh.

In 1947 the Raj came to an end when Britain passed the Indian Independence Act, which createdthe states of India and Pakistan. This arose due to constant pressure from Indian nationalists,who were led in the latter stages by Mahatma Ghandi. Gandhi was famed for his policy of non­violence and civil-disobedience to the ruling British and is today known by Indians as the 'Fatherof the Nation.' Today, India is a key member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

Economy

India's economy is the third largest by GOP in terms of purchasing power parity but, with a very

large population, it ranks only 165th in GOP/capita terms." Gradual de-centralisation of theeconomy since the early 1990s has allowed the development of a more diverse market economythat is increasingly driven by an educated and business-minded middle class. This is highlightedby India's now world-famous telecomminications and service sector, which has grown extensively

over the past decade."

Increased variation has resulted in a reduction in India's agriculture dependency, although thissector still supplies around 50% of the country's income. ManufactUring remains strong,representing more than a quarter of output.

However, despite economic expansion and development of its service sector, economic disparityremains a severe problem for India. Almost a third of Indians lived in poverty in 2011 andconstant population growth makes it hard to increase living standards. For illustration, Indiawelcomed its 1 billionth inhabitant in 2000. In just 12 years since then the population has

gl·~balcement

Join the Global CementLinked ln Group

Follow Global Cementon Twitter

Allan - FII"" 4: Map or India wtth major c1t1eB, CIlment facll~1lIB and I18lllhboll~"lll8n11or1l1B. 5

(ClIcK on Imqe to open PDF WIIlIIon)

Black -lntegl'lllBd plant.Red- G~ndlng plant.

GDP (PPP) (2ll1tl' ,-GIIP!aIIpIIo(2ll1t~, ''''''''P"""...."" (Julr ID'III' 1205.1m

-' ",,-,l'*l!IDdp..... '"'........-' ...."

G~no:Ilnl"""" ~

G~no:Ilnl......r "'-'TOTALCAPACII'Y'I ..-

Allan • Tabla t: 8ummlllY ..mlliClIf'Dr Indi" "nd a """,,,nt industry

e.m.nt Indu.by ........_111Iy

Thlllndl"n CIlmllll! Ind....ry, though lIulle. '-1I1eg one of the moet_rgy .,mclenl,~Ing 19tho World Bu.I_ COIIneli for Sulltell'lllbia Davalopmant.. (WBCSD) cernant S....llI8blllty

In~ialiIII!I" (CSI) G8Iting the Numbenl Right (GNR) dlde pragramme. 1

In 2010, thll mllll. .-11 )'&II' farwhich dIda i5awlil&bl&, India ptlrfannlld VIIry f&VIIIJrablyin

I8mIIIaf 1ptlI2fi""""'9Y all'llllJmplion ptl. Ion"" or e1in"". prudllClld, with "n ............. 313l1MJIt_ the 5ll%or CIlmllll! CllpBcIIy that the GNR programme raa!IhI&d dIda on. BIllZII and China,

whh:tl aIIIO havI!I nspkIly-d-'opl"lllarga """,ent IndlJlllrl&B, performed IIIlllhtly l&sa wall.'

In B1lthraa as-. ~ Ia the rwant IlllpIlI'llllon at the Induatry In that nllllon that pnlVIdaB thlathermal 8If1Ciancy, a consaquenca cf modam plants limply baing mOl'll efficiant than aida. onas.Tha camparlsan with tha EU27 group of countria& (and the USA 19 a greala. fIXlant), bDth ofwhich hlMl old... induslriu, i5 ell"".

In the apacIfIc caaa 01India. the 1!IITIcIfInC'/ at the nawca~ Ia enhancad by the work ofdlldlcalBd plant an9ln881'11 who _k19 maxlmlae tlla eIIIcIel'lC)'of tlla equipment In fJulI at tllam.The fact that (8IICp8I'I8IY& 1'DrBIgn) CDlIIIa the dominant fuel for the CIlment Induatry acta 8B aslrong driVII. toward&efficill'lC)'. CIIaI II mID a I'llliabla Ind lllllbIa kiln fual, which rnaan& that