By Business India Editorial

Ambuja Cements and ACC have partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) to develop next-generation Calcined Clay Cements, a low carbon material, to promote sustainable construction. 

Both Ambuja and ACC, in alignment with their parent company, Holcim, have been consistently leveraging innovation and R&D to build a range of green and responsible products to reduce CO2 emissions by 50 per cent.

The collaboration will be implemented through a research project funded by Holcim Innovation Centre, Lyon, France. The research includes an in-depth study into the influence of clinker, calcined clay and limestone on the performance of calcined clay cements.

Neeraj Akhoury, CEO, Holcim India, and Managing Director & CEO, Ambuja Cements Ltd., said: “Through our extensive R&D set up, we consistently strive to develop new ‘Low CO2’ materials for the construction industry. Calcined Clay Cement is one such avenue to make a significant quantitative difference in the industry and further accelerate our ‘Sustainability drive’. Our academic partnership with IIT Delhi is a big step towards building a greener future and we are excited to collaborate with the best minds in the country.” 

“It is the endeavour of IIT Delhi to make its research relevant to the industry and the society at large. The wide acceptance of Limestone Calcined Clay Cement by the industry worldwide and this collaboration with Holcim to develop the next-generation of calcined-clay cements demonstrate the trust that IIT Delhi has built with the industry. We are confident that this partnership will help us to achieve the goal of sustainable construction that is accessible to the masses,” said, Prof. Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi.

Holcim Innovation Centre has a history of engaging with a distinguished academic network and has collaborated with over 40 leading universities to achieve innovation excellence through ‘Sustainable’ & ‘Smart’ building solutions. 

Both the companies have also partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) to study ‘Optimized use of Low CO2 binders with alternative reinforcements’ and the Indian Institute of Hyderabad (IITH) to develop ‘Smart sensing technology for continuous on-site strength evaluation of a concrete structure”.