Mumbai, July 6 -- JK Cement is prioritising enhanced capacity utilisation and aggressive premiumisation to protect margins against cost inflation. The company is executing an expansion-led strategy to reach 50 million tonnes per annum (mn tpa) capacity by 2030, the annual report said.

Immediate priorities for FY27 include stabilising newly commissioned capacities, improving utilisation levels, expanding market reach in key regions and strengthening the portfolio of value added building materials. The joint managing director and chief executive officer, Madhavkrishna Singhania, said the company would focus on scaling digital enablement, embedding safety and accelerating its sustainability journey while maintaining operational discipline and financial prudence.

JK Cement has increased its grey cement capacity to 32.26 mn tpa. In FY26 grey cement capacity rose from 24.34 mn tpa to 32.26 mn tpa through the commissioning of the Buxar grinding unit (three mn tpa), capacity additions at Prayagraj, Hamirpur and Panna (one mn tpa each), and debottlenecking at Ujjain (zero point five mn tpa) and Muddapur (one mn tpa), together with the acquisition of a controlling stake in Saifco Cement (zero point four two mn tpa). These additions were delivered on time and within budget and strengthened the company's presence across priority regions from Jammu and Kashmir to eastern and southern India, and grey cement volumes breached the 20 mn t milestone during the year under review.

The company is progressing with its medium term expansion roadmap and an integrated project at Jaisalmer comprising four mn clinker capacity and three mn cement capacity is advancing on schedule. Planned split grinding units in Rajasthan and Punjab are expected to improve market access and logistics efficiency in the region. Premiumisation remains a key strategic focus as the company aims to improve product mix, strengthen pricing discipline and narrow the realisation gap with larger peers. It also plans to expand its value added products business to include white cement, wall putty, construction chemicals, tile adhesives, grouts, paints and ready mix concrete after commissioning its first RMC plant at Noida, with plans to scale the business aggressively in coming years.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.