COVER STORYConcrete Products: Shaping Cement’s Future The global precast concrete market was valued at approximately 100 billion in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 5 per cent from 2016 to 2025.Hume Pipes in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Pipes manufactured by The India Hume Pipe Co Ltd are in accordance with IS 458: 2003 and is used as non pressure pipe with NP1, NP2, NP3 and NP4 class.Optimising Concrete Precasting Precast concrete technology adds value and reduce cost of the project as compared to cast in-situ built.OPINIONBinani Cement Insolvency:A Never Ending Saga The case of Binani Cement, which underwent many ups and downs and legal tussles in the courtrooms, has already celebrated its first anniversary.VIEWPOINTThe Shifting Sands of Cement Industry India is now the world’s second-largest market for cement after China both in terms of production and distribution.FEATURERobots Takeover Quality & Safety at plants Traditional laboratory processes have given way to robotics for ensuring quality control and avoiding health hazards in 24x7x365 operation of cement plants.“The entire lab automation system is based on sample analysis” Vivek Chawla, Whole-time Director & CEO, Emami Cement Limited, speaks on the growth outlook for the Indian cement industry.“It pays back in 3 years” Jagdish Chandra Toshniwal, Managing Director, Wonder Cement Ltd, discusses the seamless integration provided by their system.A Cheaper & Safer Alternative FLSmidth offers a range of simpler equipment configurations to suit specific needs and budgetsTECHNOLOGYA New Grinding Aid for Cement The article describes the performance of a newly-developed early strength enhancement technology HES, a key ingredient in OPTEVA™ HE.SPECIAL REPORTDelayed Sowing, a Concern