Leading through innovation

India's infrastructure sector has grown at a stupendous pace in recent decades. One company that has helped drive this growth through its many contributions is UltraTech, the cement flagship of Aditya Birla Group. From its humble roots in the mid-1980s, UltraTech is today India’s largest cement manufacturer and among the top worldwide. A significant share of the credit goes to the company’s ability to adopt multiplicity in its business model.

Diversification and product innovation have been central to UltraTech’s approach from day one. From a 0.5 tonne grey cement plant in Madhya Pradesh in 1985, UltraTech today produces over 120 million tonnes of cement, both grey and white, in addition to its thriving concrete business. Its deep understanding of the market has allowed UltraTech to rapidly enter new segments within existing verticals as well as to research new products. For instance, the company currently offers corrosion-resistant cement and concrete, 3-D printable concrete mix designs, smart additives for cement, and more.

The company’s use of innovative forms extends to more than just products. UltraTech pioneered the first pan-India multi-category retail chain to provide individual homebuilders with a one-stop-shop solution. Known as UltraTech Building Solutions (UBS), the launch marked the company’s transition from a manufacturer to a building solutions provider.

Another shift has been UltraTech’s ecosystem development strategy. Under this strategy, it has introduced a slew of digital platforms for key stakeholders like dealers, retailers, masons, contractors, and architects. It has also launched programmes to upskill masons and contractors in technical aspects such as construction planning and methods, material quality, safety precautions, and so on.

Construction players worldwide are under pressure to become more eco-friendly. UltraTech has already moulded itself into a sustainable avatar by committing to achieving net-zero concrete and meeting its entire electricity requirement through renewable power by 2050. It has also replaced 5% of conventional fuels in its cement kilns with alternative fuels, namely industrial and municipal solid waste, as a step towards greater circularity in its business.

By eschewing rigidity and reinventing itself in multiple forms with a focus on agility, innovation, and customer-centricity, UltraTech has cemented an exceptional story of sustained market leadership in the construction sector.