GCCA India launches

Based in Mumbai, GCCA India will focus on driving forward key sustainability work underway within the cement sector, in the second largest cement producing nation in the world.

As part of the GCCA’s strategic partnership with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, GCCA India takes over the work of the Cement Sustainability Initiative India, which formerly served as the sector’s sustainability alliance.

GCCA India was officially launched at a distinguished inauguration event in New Delhi. A number of leading Indian cement companies joined a high level panel, discussing the ‘Role of the Cement and Concrete Sector in the Circular Economy’ and panellists included K K Maheshwari, Managing Director of UltraTech Cement and Jamshed Cooper, Managing Director of HeidelbergCement India.

The Indian cement industry has been a partner in India’s development and has helped accelerate key development projects, such as affordable housing and infrastructure. Equally, the Indian cement industry is conscious and aware of its responsibility to ensure a sustainable approach to its business conduct. Recently, the India Cement Sector SDG Roadmap was launched to help realise the potential of the sector to contribute to the 2030 agenda.

GCCA India will help ensure that in terms of the sector commitments to sustainability, innovation in technology and manufacture, and collaboration across the wider built environment, the Indian cement sector can play a key leadership role. GCCA India will develop a work programme that will focus on the wider global GCCA priorities but with practical application across the Indian built environment.

“I am delighted to officially launch GCCA India,” said Benjamin Sporton, CEO of the GCCA, speaking at the GCCA India launch event. “Building collaboration and bringing important focus to the sustainability work that is underway across the cement sector in India is vital.

“India is clearly a critical market in terms of cement producing capacity, and with population growth and the growing demand and need for safe homes and key infrastructure, cement and concrete are clearly going to play an important role in the future development of the country. It is very much the aim of the GCCA to help ensure that this is undertaken in a sustainable way.”

“Looking at the key role the Indian cement sector will play in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), climate change, and circular economy related objectives, the GCCA has decided to launch its operations in India,” said Maheshwari. “I am confident that GCCA India’s launch will help to further accelerate the sustainable development agenda of the Indian cement industry.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcement.com/indian-subcontinent/03072019/gcca-india-launches/