Construction activity in Pune is expected to come to a standstill as Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants have decided to halt operations from April 15 onwards. This is in response to the restrictions imposed on their business and directives from multiple government departments, closures and orders to shift from their existing locations, which have negatively impacted their operations. The industry is advocating for a unified regulatory framework for RMC operations.
The region has around 300 RMC plants, each with an average production capacity of approximately 3,000 cubic meters per month. Together, they supply nearly a million cubic meters of concrete annually, generating an estimated annual revenue of around ₹6,000 crore. Approximately 65% of the concrete produced is used by real estate developers, while 35% is allocated to infrastructure projects, including the metro network, roads, and utilities.
Struggle for Compliance
The industry is on the verge of reaching the $1 billion mark, but the absence of a consistent compliance framework has led to harassment and financial losses, according to Satish Kate, chairman and managing director of Hasber Machines and secretary of the Pune RMC Association. He pointed out that the lack of coordination, clarity, and uniform implementation of regulations is a significant issue.
This lack of a coordinated regulatory framework is starting to affect project timelines, cost stability, and supply predictability across the construction sector. The RMC industry is facing increasing pressure from various challenges, including the need for multiple permissions from different departments, frequent changes in compliance requirements, traffic restrictions that hinder timely deliveries, and rising operational costs. Since concrete is a perishable commodity that must be used within two to four hours, limited time slots for transit further complicate matters.
The industry is seeking policy support from the state government. Suggested measures include establishing a single-window clearance system for RMC plants, implementing a uniform Maharashtra RMC policy framework, introducing scientific traffic time-slotting for transit mixers, developing practical environmental compliance guidelines, and clarifying the distinction between temporary and permanent batching plants, all under a “one state – one policy – uniform implementation” approach.
Industry Demands
The Association stated it will utilise this pause to improve operational standards across RMC plants through internal compliance audits, transit mixer safety inspections, dust-control upgrades, workforce safety training, and aligning standard operating procedures with regulatory expectations. Additionally, they plan to introduce a quality and safety certification framework for member plants.
These 300 RMC plants provide direct employment to nearly 12,000 people and create 18,000 to 24,000 indirect jobs. The association argues that RMC plants are not major contributors to the Air Quality Index (AQI). According to a source-apportionment study by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the main contributors to particulate pollution (PM10) in Pune include road dust resuspension (61%), vehicles (18%), construction and brick kilns (4.5%), domestic fuel burning (7.5%), and industries (1.25%). Construction-related dust, which encompasses excavation, debris movement, and material handling, accounts for around 11% of PM10 and PM2.5 pollution in Pune. RMC plants represent only a fraction of this 11%.