Giving Back to Society, in Times of Crisis

As Covid 19 looms the cement industry dynamics, giving back to the society remains a constant effort for Wonder Cement

Flagging demand in the domestic market has unnerved India as the world's second-largest cement market, both in terms of production as well as consumption. Wonder Cement is one of the leading cement players in North-Western India with installed capacity of 11 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) with three lines having state of art technology, at Nimbahera plant in District Chittorgarh, Rajasthan and two world class grinding units in Maharashtra & Madhya Pradesh. The third upcoming grinding unit is scheduled for launch in Haryana by Jan 2021.

This year the primary focus is to optimise the cost of production and consolidate our position in market while delivering unmatched quality of products. In FY20, the cement demand has grown in north region by 7% which was bolstered by a pick-up in the affordable housing and infrastructure segments. However, due to the bleak outlook and unfavourable business conditions, the cement industry had to undergo a production halt in March-April, owing to the lockdown and the steps taken to control Covid-19.

After receiving approvals from the respective state governments, we resumed operations in May with reduced manpower. The workforce and logistical constraints resulted in a slow restart for the industry. Transportation was a stumbling block as railways were primarily used for transporting essential goods and migrant labour. We expected to rebound in mid-May - June as both, the demand and our production picked up with our capacity utilisation climbing up to 60 per cent. With the ease in restrictions, the industry has witnessed a good offtake and has shown strong positive trends in terms of growth in certain regions during June and July. Given the onset of monsoon, some regions, however, witnessed a small dip. With sheer persistence and determination, we are committed to offering impeccable quality. I am sure we will adapt to the new ways of working till normalcy is restored. As an industry, we have come together, adapted to new ways while using this time to reinvent.

But how will we heed to this macro-approach of working and growing together?

The Manufacturing sector is now poised to take the centre stage and fight the crisis together - where 'together' is the operative word. This time, the word together needs to be implemented in its true sense for which a new paradigm has to take shape. Wonder Cement truly believes in joining hands towards common goals and help in changing dreams into reality. As market leaders, we regard the truth and understand the need to rise together and lead by example.

Forming a united front to combat Covid-19 was perhaps our collaborative effort, to contribute towards this fight against a pandemic that the entire globe is at loggerheads with.

Proactively, before the outbreak of Covid, periodic medical camps, health check-ups, and eye care camps were organised for the benefit of the villages in close vicinity of our plants.  With a primary focus to create awareness among the rural population, we educated people in the third week of March 2020 and so far 38144 patients have been benefited from 296 camps and other awareness campaigns. Considering a surge in the number of Covid -19 cases, spraying of beaching powder in 22 nearby villages, helping twenty thousand people was a significant responsibility taken up by us. Simultaneously, Covidessentials such as PPE Kits, masks, sanitizers, shoe covers, safety goggles, surgical caps and other necessities were distributed amongst frontline workers and villagers to ensure their safety and protection. During the nationwide lockdown, workers had to reverse migrate to their hometowns while facing difficulties in procuring the basic services that are essential for a livelihood. Contributing to the CM relief fund and providing financial aids to the district collectors as well as by supporting 150 families for the development of kitchen garden, we were able to uphold families. With our support, twenty-five HunarSaathi's (Female tailors) could generate income opportunities by stitching more than fifty thousand reusable/washable cloth masks and became self-dependent during the difficult times of Covid - 19. We at Wonder Cement believe that our people and technology should have an impact on the lives of people. Giving back to society is a significant contribution that we can make to our growing economy which will also help us build stronger and responsible communities.

As we strengthen our global presence in the coming years, we intend to be committed to our leadership by continuing to produce the best quality cement with operational excellence and cost-effectiveness.

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