Steel, cement, energy and raw-material developments, read the way a refractory engineer reads them. Cited, concise, updated as it happens.
Cement
Dalmia Bharat has broken ground on a ₹3,100-crore Line-2 at Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, more than doubling clinker capacity to 6.1 MTPA with commissioning targeted for Q3 FY28. For refractory and insulation suppliers, a new kiln train of this size is a multi-year demand signal that starts well before the plant is commissioned.
Raw Materials
Bauxite prices softened through the first half of 2026, easing input costs for alumina-based refractories. Magnesia tells the opposite story: China's export posture continues to set the floor for the magnesia-carbon bricks that line steel ladles and converters. For Indian plants, the two trends pull refractory budgets in opposite directions.
Steel
India is building the majority of the world's new blast furnace capacity, with major additions at Tata, JSW, AMNS and Jindal landing through 2026. Every new furnace is a large, recurring consumer of refractories — from hearth and trough to stack and stoves. For refractory buyers and suppliers, this is a multi-year demand signal, not a one-off.