New Delhi, Dec 14 (FN Bureau) The Research and Development industry is witnessing a surge, so innovation in technology should be our prime concern, stated Dr Shashi Panja, West Bengal Minister-in-Charge, Department of Industry, Commerce & Enterprises, Women & Child Development and Social Welfare. Commenting on the ongoing trends in sustainable research at the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC)- organised the 5th Cementing India Conference to discuss the decarbonisation of the cement sector and transitioning into low carbon economy, Panja, said“ The Research and Development industry is witnessing a surge, so innovation in technology should be our prime concern. Cement is the second most used resource by us after water.”
The session witnessed valuable insights from Dr Panja, Manoj K Rustagi, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, JSW Cement, Vedant Agarwal, Director, Purbanchal Cement Ltd, Anil Banchhor, Managing Director & CEO, RDC Concrete (India) Pvt Ltd, Yaswant Mishra, President (Corporate) and Chief Financial Officer, Mangalam Cement, Nilotpol Kar, Managing Director MBCC India, Madhusudan Rasiraju, Country Head, IKN Engineering India Pvt Ltd and Sanjay Bhalla, CEO, MAPEI India. Speaking on the sustainable aspects of concrete, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, JSW Cement, Rustagi, said, “Concrete is the most used material across the world, as it is a sustainable construction material. Challenges that we are facing in India on infrastructural consumption are going high.”
Commenting on the sector, Agarwal, said, “ Cement as a commodity has brought a brighter future for industrial development. There will be constant innovation and eventually we would shift to the green cement supply. The concerns today are coal shortage, raw material price and increase in fossil fuel emission. Therefore our company is the first to concentrate on improvement in technology to change the ratio of getting better results, which has already started in the north-eastern states.” Commenting at the event, Mishra, said, “We mostly focus on man-made materials but unfortunately they are harmful to us and our environment. COP is concentrating on clinker as a prime alternative. Firstly, we should educate the people of our country about the type of resources used in building infrastructure. Since 2020, it has come to notice that there is a need to improve the research and development industry.“
Commenting on recent developments, Kar, said, “ When you burn fuel, there is a waste pile of bottom ash. If It can be utilised then it will be a great achievement for all of us. Sustainability is durability and with less repair, low carbon economy, lifecycle management, and eco efficiency, we can attain it. So, if we make use of more concrete, the manufacturing sector is going to last longer. “ Focusing on company initiatives to reduce carbon footprint, Rasiraju, said, “In our organization, we focus on reduction in power consumption, cooler heaters, metallic parts, etc. In the current condition, we are implementing the Konda effect and Pendulum support system, due to which we have reduced carbon emission by 124 million tonnes. We are saving about 23.5 MW of power and decreasing coal consumption.”