Industries Making Use of Coal or Coal Based Products

Coal is primarily associated with fuel generation and people tend to limit their knowledge to only this. However, this carbon rich fossil provides you with a myriad of applications that act as the basic necessity for multiple industries. It is an element that fuelled the growth of the Industrial Revolution back in the 15^th and 16^th centuries and it continues to do so till date.

Coal serves as the backbone for industries like cement, steel and even electricity. Even though we are now focussing on renewable sources of energy such as water, wind and solar, coal without a doubt, leads the way with its contribution in the industrial world. KCT Group, one of India’s oldest and largest coal logistics companies, led by Varun Thapar have contributed to the way coal is transported to different industries across the country. Let’s take a look at some of the industries that are supported by coal and its products.

Electricity Production: Electricity production is one of the most common use of coal. Popularly known as thermal coal or steam coal, it is used in almost all power stations across the country to produce electricity.

Steel Industry: This is the second largest coal using industry in India. Coal is one of the basic and most essential raw material for steel production. It is also used for the manufacturing of other metal products.

Paper and Aluminium Industry: Both paper and aluminium industries require a huge quantity of energy and fuel for their functioning and only coal can match this requirement. Coal is also the cheapest form of energy that makes it an essential part for the industries growth.

Cement Industry: Production of cement is a very high energy consuming industry. This is why coal is used for the source of energy in these production units. Powdered form of coal is burnt which produces fly ash that plays the role of concrete in the cement. Although the use of coal in cement is comparatively less, it makes for an essential component that most production units cannot function without.  

Coal Gas or Liquid: These are the two things used as transportation fuel and almost all the modern day functions are dependent on these substances.

Pharma and Chemical Industry: There are a number of chemical products, such as coal tar, that are a by-product of coal and are used in manufacturing other coal related products. It is a common raw material in the pharma world as well given its acidic properties that produce salicylic acid, nitro phenol and picric acid. Some of the chemicals produced by coal are phenol, benzene and creosote oil.

Things You Need To Know When Investing In Commercial Real Estate

We all know that one of the most common forms of investment is in the real estate sector which is divided into two categories – residential and commercial real estate. 

If we talk about Commercial Real Estate, it includes constructions such as retail buildings, office buildings, industrial buildings, apartment buildings, and mixed-use buildings. It is an attractive investment choice as it offers so many advantages like consistent returns, passive income, and growth potential.

So, it is not as difficult as it may appear. Keep some of these points in mind while investing in commercial real estate:

Location Is Everything

Location is most important when it comes to funding in commercial real estate. Many aspects come into play such as accessibility to roads and public transport, distance to neighboring cities, and infrastructure projects currently in development in the area. Investors should also conduct an in-depth verification of the property to gain a better understanding of the potential or liabilities it comes with.

Commercial properties offer a return on two things – rent and capital appreciation. Both are strongly dependent on the location. Search for places where the vacancy rate is less than 5%.

Quality Of The Property
There can be two-three buildings in a particular location, but one with the highest quality will always get rented first. It will also appeal to good tenants. Multinational tenants are always inclined to pay a premium for quality. So, if you are looking for boutique ultra-premium commercial properties or prime developed real estate areas to invest in, ICP, the real estate arm of KCT group.

Additionally, look for certifications like LEED gold or platinum ratings or buildings that have beautiful looking lobbies, more elevators, higher ceiling height, and scenic views.

 Quality Of Tenant
An excellent tenant has the potential to relatively increase the cost of a commercial property. If your tenant is good, s/he will pay rents on time, pay higher deposits, stay longer, and increase the value of the property.

There are various factors you must consider when investing in a building with existing tenants like their sales on a monthly and annual basis & the rental period, which is another important factor that one needs to assess.

 Interior Fit-Outs
Make it a note to always ask who has done the interior fit- outs in the property. Most of the time when an office is constructed, it is delivered bare shell. It is the tenant who has to do the flooring, ceiling, air conditioning, wiring, interior cabins, and so on depending on the requirements. Some tenants like to do their set-ups on their own while others ask the developer to do it for them.

Property Documentation

Go through all the documents very carefully. It is necessary because it will help you in understanding all the legal work to be undertaken by the investor. It has documents related to mortgage and ownership transfer in case there is re-selling of the property.

Do not forget to check the hidden charges (if any) in the property papers and sale agreements by the seller and broker.

Security deposit
Security deposits differ between 10 and 12 months’ rent in commercial properties. Pay attention when a tenant proposes 6 months or less because that means they might consider a short-term option or have cash flow problems.

Market Dynamics

It is significant to look at the dynamics of the type of property you choose. So if you’re seeking to invest in retail, consideration should be given to the short-term & long-term impacts of e-commerce on tenant and consumer demand. Ideally, you must invest in commercial property in an environment with low-interest rate, which supports your demand for both property and borrowing.

Buying Property? 3 Tips to Make the Right Deal

Buying property involves a big investment. There are people who put their entire life savings to buy a piece of land. It therefore becomes very important to do good research about the property and be very sure of the decision you are making to avoid any problems later. For those buying property for the first time, the entire process can be difficult and challenging as there are many intricate details that needs to be taken care of. Here we list down some smart tips to follow that will make the entire property buying process smooth and hassle-free.

Do Good Research: Considering the amount of money involved in buying property, it goes without saying that one must do good research and planning before making the final deal. There are people who do not do much research as they consider it a long and tedious process. However, to make a profitable deal, it is advised to do good background research of the potential property. Check the neighborhood, figure out the age of the property, investigate about the builder, and know about the features of the property. It is best to get in touch with reputed real estate companies like the KCT Group as they have a name in the industry and can help you with all your questions.

Think Long Term: As buying property is a long-term investment, one must consider a range of factors before taking the final decision. Once you have purchased the property, it will be you who will have to pay the property tax, maintenance charges, mortgage burden etc.

Consult a Reputed Real Estate Agent: If you are investing in real estate for the first time, it is best to get in touch with licensed real estate agents as they have good experience in the field and can give you the best advice on every step of the property buying process. They will provide you with all the information and guidance that is required to make a profitable deal. Be it understanding the market dynamics or ways to manage your finances, a good agent will help you clear all your doubts. Having thorough knowledge of the field, these agents are skilled enough to negotiate on your behalf and crack the deal that will work best for you.

Ways to Ensure Disease Prevention in Shrimp Cultivation

Shrimp is an animal which lacks a specific immune system. Hence, its ability to resist pathogens is quite poor. Moreover, there are no vaccines available to prevent diseases in shrimp. If shrimps are weak and have a major disease, the farmer not only has to incur the cost for pond preparation but also deal with reduced yield.

Shrimps are especially prone to bacteria and virus attack during the change of weather when they easily become weak and susceptible. Hence, more precaution needs to be taken during seasonal changes.

Symptoms of weak or diseased shrimp include lethargic swimming near pond banks, water surfaces or shores. There is also a loss of appetite and they may even die at the bottom of the pond. Since the medicines mixed with feed won’t be consumed by the infected shrimp, the treatment is rather ineffective. Hence, shrimp producers must consider the husbandry procedures, stock quality and healthy nutrition as the main tools for controlling the disease.

Here are some of the ways to ensure disease prevention in shrimp cultivation:

• The traditional approach to considerably reduce the impact of diseases is by increasing the key nutrients such as vitamin C and E, fatty acids, phospholipids, carotenoids, and trace minerals. These booster feeds when supplemented with immunostimulants strengthen the immune system of the shrimps.
• Increase use of bio-products to serve the purpose of treating poisonous gases, decomposing wastes and stabilizing pH, alkaline, algae etc. Siphoning water in the pond is also a good practice to follow. Make sure to not exchange pond water with external sources if the treatment has not been processed thoroughly. This will ensure preventing the spread of disease to the surrounding environment.
• Increasing aeration also creates a suitable environment for microbial decomposition by increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the pond.
• When using medicines, it is vital to use the correct dosages and at right intervals.

One must take inspiration from companies such as The Waterbase Limited by The Thapar Group and Avanti feeds which ensure healthy shrimp cultivation and do all it takes to ensure disease prevention.

Top Coal Importers in India

India, with an aim to become self-sufficient in terms of meeting the demand for coal, has been focusing on both domestic production as well as import of coal from outside. Here are the leading coal import companies in India which play a substantial role in meeting the demand-supply cycle:

Steel Authority of India

Steel Authority of India is one of the largest coal importers in India. The company is into importing coking coal in non-bulk from countries such as USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Mozambique, and US Virgin Islands. Australia is the greatest contributor of coal to Steel Authority of India.

JSW Steel Limited

The company imports different variants of coal such as coking coal, anthracite, non-coking coal, bituminous etc. Canada, Mozambique, Australia, Russia, USA, and Indonesia are the main countries from which it imports. While coking coal and anthracite are imported in bulk as well as non-bulk manner, bituminous and non-coking coal are restricted to non-bulk packaging only. Russia is the main exporter of anthracite to JSW Steel Limited.

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited

It is an importer of coking coal in non-bulk packaging from countries such as USA, Australia and Canada. The major exporter of coal to Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited is Australia.

Coastal Gujarat Limited

Mozambique and Indonesia are the main countries that the company relies upon for importing coal, with 90% of the steam coal coming from Indonesia. The company imports non-coking coal in bulk quantity.

Tata Steel Limited

The company is into importing different varieties of coal such as coking, anthracite, and non-coking majorly from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and Russia. It mostly imports non-coking coal in non-bulk packaging.

KCT Coal

Being the largest coal logistics company in India, KCT coal transports about 60-70 million metric tons of coal throughout the country via rail, road and sea. It serves to both private as well as public sectors such as paper mills, thermal power stations, cement plants etc. It majorly imports coal from Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.

Manufacturing in India: The Success Story of Indicon Enterprises

With India surging ahead to become the manufacturing hub of the world, logistics, no doubt, is one of the important factors that hold key to realising that aspiration. Today, Indicon Enterprises, knowing full well the scope and potential of the manufacturing industry in India, has carved a niche for itself in this domain. The company is regarded as India’s leading container manufacturer and customised engineering solutions provider. Which is why they have a rich clientèle that includes Indian Oil, ONGC, and ISRO as well as Tata Steel, Siemens and Bosch. With India surging ahead to become the manufacturing hub of the world, logistics, no doubt, is one of the important factors that hold key to realising that aspiration. Today, Indicon Enterprises, knowing full well the scope and potential of the manufacturing industry in India, has carved a niche for itself in this domain. The company is regarded as India’s leading container manufacturer and customised engineering solutions provider. Which is why they have a rich clientèle that includes Indian Oil, ONGC, and ISRO as well as Tata Steel, Siemens and Bosch.

Indicon Enterprises have a modern manufacturing facility that is ISO-certified and equipped to manufacture all kinds of container units and related products. It uses cutting-edge technology in the design and production process of all its products. The company specializes in manufacturing rail and marine freight units, bunkhouses, tank containers and also refrigerated and insulated containers.

Indicon Enterprises is a part of the leading business conglomerate KCT Group which started operating from 1929.  The Thapar Group of Industries has been a leader ever since, in sectors ranging from coal and infrastructure to manufacturing, real estate, and aquaculture.

Indicon Enterprises has merged with Bharat Westfalia to become Indicon Westfalia. The company continues to take pride on being a bespoken high-end engineering solutions provider. It is an original equipment manufacturer of multi-function containers, material handling systems and coal mining equipment with sincere emphasis on quality and customisation. As a member company of the KCT Group, Indicon Westfalia works towards preserving the legacy of quality manufacturing and responsible innovation, by acting in compliance with all domestic and international standards and regulations besides maximising customer satisfaction through client engagement and after-sales service.

Indicon Westfalia aspires to achieve a new standard of excellence in high-end domestic manufacturing and strives to be a part of India’s growth story.

Waterbase Ltd – Leaders in Professional Aquaculture

Many may not know this yet but aquaculture is the fastest-growing animal food production sector in the world today. It is emerging as the main source of aquatic animal food in human consumption. Also known as aqua-farming, aquaculture essentially involves farming of fish, molluscs and other aquatic organisms for commercial consumption.

In view of decreasing wild fishery stocks, rising global population and continuing demand for edible fish, and rising international trade, the aquaculture sector has witnessed tremendous expansion in the last few decades – both in terms of production volume and value.

Lesser Known Uses of Coal

The use of fossil fuels as a primary source of energy has been a widespread practice around the world. The utilisation of coal and petroleum in factories, cars, textiles and other such industries has definitely made it a very important part of our lives. Companies like Coal India and Thapar Group of Companies’ KCT Coal Sales have also made the commercial use of coal accessible to a lot of different areas in the country. However, apart from the main uses of coal which is mostly for power generation and steel production, there are a few uses of coal that are not that known by the public.

Coal is essentially a rock, which can be broken down further to satisfy various different needs. Here are a few uses that are not well known by people in general.

Activated Carbon

Activated carbon is a form of carbon found in coal which has low volume pores covering a much bigger surface area, which helps in forming chemical reactions. Activated carbons are mostly used for air purification, decaffeination, gold purification, metal extraction, water purification, medicine, sewage treatment, air filters in gas masks and respirators, filters in compressed air and many other applications. It is also used in a lot of industries to finish metal while the medical uses range from poison and overdose treatments to the curing of diarrhea and indigestion.

Carbonfibre

Comprising completely of carbon atoms, carbon fibres are formed by bonding carbon crystals found naturally in coal to create a high-tensile and durable fabric that has a variety of uses. It is mostly to create interiors of automobiles and has also been known to create a lot of military equipment, especially in the self-defence area.

Silicone Metal

Coal is also an ingredient to produce silicon based products, which are silanes. The products are then in turn used to make lubricants, resins, hair products, cosmetics and water repellents along with creating moulds that can be used in a lot of medical procedures.

Coal: The Foundation Of A Booming Economy

Coal is one of the most important and cost-effective energy sources for mankind. The abundance and low costs of using coal has made it the go-to choice of fuel for building power plants in the world. It is also widely used as a raw material for cement and steel and several industries like paper, aluminum, chemical, transportation and pharma also make use of coal.

Here we list down a few facts about coal and that make it such an important source of energy in India:

• Coal is nothing more than a kind of ancient wood, which has been under pressure for millions of years. It takes millions of years to form and therefore it belongs to non-renewable energy sources.
• Coal is a combustible, mostly black, sedimentary rock that is largely made of carbon but also features other elements like hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur and nitrogen.
• Coal mining can be mined and burned with very little environmental impact. Over recent years, there have been tremendous strides in environmental responsibility with mining coal.
• The mining process of coal uses two methods: surface or underground mining. Surface mining is a more dominant method largely because it’s much more cost-effective than underground mining.
• Apart from its advantages, the industry adds to the employment rate of a country as it adds a host of jobs. Unlike others forms of energy (nuclear, hydro, natural gas, etc.) coal provides jobs in mining, burning, disposing of ash and transportation of coal.
• Currently, India stands fifth in terms of World Coal Resources. Coal occurrences are mainly distributed along the river valleys i.e. Damodar Valley, Sone-Mahanadi Valley, Pench-Kanhan Valley, Wardha-Godavari Valley etc. In total, there are 69 major coalfields located in peninsular India.