ALC Panels and AAC blocks to be manufactured at Kapadvanj

Siam Cement BigBloc Construction Technologies Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between Siam Cement Group (SCG) of Thailand and Gujarat-based BigBloc Construction Ltd., anticipates that its first facility in Kapadvanj, Gujarat, will begin to operate commercially in the next three to four months. Under the brand name “ZMART BUILD,” the joint venture firm will market its goods and manufacture AAC blocks and ALC panels at the location. 

Important representatives from SCG Group and BigBloc Construction, Manish Saboo, Head of Marketing and Strategy at BigBloc Construction, and Naresh Saboo, Managing Director of BigBloc Construction, as well as Jirapat (DMD and Green Biz Director) of SCG, Smitthida, Marketing Manager, and Palapong Palarith, Technical Advisor, visited the factory site to receive an update on the status of the plant construction.

ALC Panels and AAC Blocks will be manufactured at a state-of-the-art facility in Kapadvanj, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, that will produce 3 lakh cubic metres (CBM) per year. BigBloc Construction and Siam Cement Group (SCG) of Thailand entered into a strategic joint venture for this purpose in 2021. Within the joint venture, BigBloc Construction owns 52 percent and SCG owns 48 percent; the first investment made by SCG Group in India is this one.

Established in 1913, SCG is one of the largest cement and building material companies in Thailand and Southeast Asia and ranks 2^nd in the 2021 Forbes list.

The anticipated total investment for the Kapadvanj project is ₹. 65 crore. When operating at maximum efficiency, the factory should bring in between ₹. 100 and ₹. 125 crore annually. SIAM Cement Big Bloc Construction Technologies Pvt. Ltd., the joint venture company, ordered machinery and technical services for the plant, negotiated a banking tie-up to finance the project, and purchased 60,000 square metres of land.

Naresh Saboo, Managing Director, BigBloc Construction Ltd., says, “The joint venture aims to share techno-commercial knowledge, promote mutual growth and cooperation in the construction industry and bring new-age building materials to Indian markets. In its initial phase, the venture plans to establish a plant with an annual capacity of 3 lakh cubic metres.”

Jirapat, DMD and Director, Green Business, SCG International Corporation Co. Ltd., presented, “We are pleased with the current developments at the plant, where construction is progressing rapidly and nearing completion. The company has already initiated the procurement of plant and machinery, with the first batch anticipated to arrive soon. SCG International plays a pivotal role at the forefront of SCG Group’s ventures in emerging markets, and we are optimistic that this initial endeavour will pave the way for additional opportunities in the rapidly expanding Indian market.”

BigBloc Construction Ltd., which was incorporated in 2015, is one of the biggest and only publicly traded firms in the AAC Block Space, with an annual installed capacity of 8.25 lakh cubic metres.

The manufacturing facilities of the company are situated in Wada (Palghar) in Maharashtra, Umargaon (Vapi), and Kapadvanj (Ahmedabad) in Gujarat. It is one of the very few businesses in the AAC sector that produces carbon credits.

Manish Saboo, Head of Marketing and Strategy, BigBloc Construction Ltd., says, “Moving forward, SCG and BigBloc aim to collaborate on a comprehensive range of building material solutions to enhance the supply chain in India, capitalise on each other’s capabilities, and deliver exceptional solutions to the construction industry.”

The top manufacturer of AAC blocks in India is BigBloc Construction Limited. The company uses the brand name “NXTBLOC” to market its goods. With more than 1,500 projects still in the works, the company has completed over 2,000 projects so far. Lodha, Adani Realty, Indiabulls Real Estate, Prestige, Piramal, Oberoi Realty, Raheja, PSP Projects, L&T, Sunteck, Shirke Group, and Shapoorji Pallonji Group are a few of the company’s clients. AAC blocks are a green and non-toxic building material that is also more affordable than traditional bricks. They are also lightweight, soundproof, and fire-resistant, with excellent build quality.

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