Message from GCCA India

2025 has been a year of defining moments, as we reflect on the year for GCCA India and its member companies.

The cornerstone of our efforts this year was the publication of the Decarbonization Roadmap for the Indian Cement Sector: Net Zero CO₂ by 2070. Released in March 2025 and developed in collaboration with TERI, this roadmap serves as a guiding document in our aspiration to be a "Net Zero" cement sector by 2070.

The year began with renewed leadership as we welcomed Mr Joydeep Mukherjee, Managing Director of HeidelbergCement India, in January as our Co-Chair. In May 2025, we signed a significant Memorandum of Understanding with CII-GBC, further solidifying our collaborative networks.

Furthermore, in September 2025, we launched the "Comparative Evaluation of Embodied Carbon of High-rise and Low-rise Buildings in India" at IIT Bombay. Released in collaboration with the Indian Concrete Institute and the Low Carbon Construct Forum, the report emphasizes the importance of addressing embodied carbon in India’s building sector, which accounts for a significant share of national emissions.

Capacity building and safety remained at the heart of our operations in 2025. We successfully conducted two "Train the Trainers" sessions on Contractor Safety Management, the first in Mumbai in March and the second in Hyderabad in June. We rounded off our training calendar in November by supporting GCCA with a Workshop on the GCCA CO2 and Energy Protocol V 3.1, ensuring our members remain at the forefront of global reporting standards.

Finally, to close the year, in December, we released a report on "Study on Carbon Uptake by Concrete in India" in collaboration with National Council of Cement and Building Materials (NCB). This study aims to provide a value for CO2 uptake by concrete, enabling its inclusion in India’s emission reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

This newsletter serves as a roundup of key highlights from July 2025.

With a lot of activities planned in 2026 ahead, we wish you a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year.

Release of ‘Study of Carbon Uptake by Concrete in India’ in collaboration with the National Council of Cement and Building Materials (NCB)

GCCA India launched a report on the 'Study on Carbon Uptake by Concrete in India,' developed in collaboration with the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB), during the 63^rd NCB Day celebration on December 24, 2025. This report calculates the carbon uptake by concrete in India from 1996 to 2024, using the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute Tier 1 methodology. This study aims to provide a value for CO₂ uptake by concrete, enabling its inclusion in India’s emission reporting to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Op-ed on India’s Cement Sector Decarbonization

GCCA India Co-Chair Mr. Joydeep Mukherjee along with Director General, TERI Dr. Vibha Dhawan highlight how the cement industry can meet rising demand while targeting Net Zero CO₂ by 2070, stressing the need for strong policy support.

Training on GCCA Water Positivity Index

On November 6, 2025, Mr. Kaustubh Phadke (Head GCCA India) and Ms. Pashmin Dee (Sustainability Manager GCCA India) conducted a training session for around 30 participants from Cement companies of Telengana & Andhra Pradesh on the GCCA Water Positivity Index and Toolkit at the Andhra Cement Plant in Dachepalli.

Webinar on Methane Avoidance & Nature-Based Solutions

GCCA India hosted an insightful webinar for its members on Methane Avoidance and Nature-Based Solutions (NbS), in collaboration with FICEM (Inter-American Cement Federation - Latin America & Caribbean). the webinar focused on how South America has formulated its Carbon Neutrality roadmap for the cement and concrete sector and elaborated on methane avoidance as a possible decarbonization lever, using biomass as an alternative fuel in the clinker manufacturing.

GCCA India at WOC India Awards 2025

Mr. Kaustubh Phadke served as one of the jury members for the World of Concrete (WoC) Awards as WOC India honored innovations, sustainability efforts, and excellence across India’s concrete and construction sector.

GCCA India at the Workshop on Circularity and Built Environment in India

Ms. Pashmin Dee (Sustainability Manager, GCCA India) presented the 'Decarbonization Roadmap for the Indian Cement Sector: Net Zero CO₂ by 2070' at the Workshop on Circularity in the Built Environment at the United Nations (UN) held at Delhi, India.

GCCA India at Indian Cement Review Conference 2025

Mr. Kaustubh Phadke, took part in a panel discussion on policy–market alignment for a low-carbon built environment and the sector’s Net Zero goals, and also serving as a jury member for the ICR Awards.

Stakeholder Consultation Workshop on Green Public Procurement in Steel and Cement sector

Kaustubh Phadke participated in the panel discussion highlighting on decarbonization roadmap of the Indian cement sector, the role of SCM as a decarbonization lever, and the importance of low-carbon cement and its significance in green public procurement held at India International Centre, on August 18, 2025

Panel Discussion on Is Bharat Aligned with Global CCUS?

Mr. Kaustubh Phadke participated in a panel discussion on Is Bharat Aligned with Global CCUS Policy? exploring how India can align with global Carbon Capture, Utilization & Storage (CCUS) trends while building a robust domestic ecosystem at India BioEnergy & Tech Expo on 25th September 2025, organized by Indian Federation of Green Energy & MM Activ.

Concrete in Life 2025/26 Photo Contest Opens

Share your best concrete-themed photos on Instagram with the campaign hashtags for a chance to participate in this global competition, open to all. Submissions close on 31st December 2025.