Connecting materials science with practical engineering.
Dr S B Hegde, Ph.D. · Professor of Civil Engineering · Visiting Professor, Penn State University
More than 32 years of senior manufacturing and technical leadership with leading cement companies, together with academic research, across India, Southeast Asia, Africa and the United States. Today that experience comes together as a professor, author and strategic advisor on plant performance, low-carbon cement, durability and digital technologies.
CRC Press · Taylor & Francis
Cement Manufacturing HandbookBridging Traditional Knowledge, Digital Innovation, and Sustainability
S. B. Hegde
Featured book
Cement Manufacturing Handbook
Bridging Traditional Knowledge, Digital Innovation, and Sustainability
CRC Press / Taylor & Francis
Built from decades of plant experience, research and teaching, the book connects fundamental cement science with the realities of modern cement manufacturing.
Forthcoming · Complete manuscript submitted September 2026
Expertise
Areas of technical expertise
From hydration chemistry to plant-floor decisions, each area draws on decades of industrial practice and current research.
Core service
Whole-Plant Optimisation
End-to-end optimisation of the pyro line, from raw mill to kiln and clinker cooler: stable kiln operation, better cooler recuperation and heat and mass balance, and lower specific heat and power consumption.
Core service
Alternative Fuels (AFR / TSR)
Raising thermal substitution with alternative fuels and raw materials while protecting kiln output and clinker quality: fuel selection, feeding and burner strategy, and chemistry control.
Core service
Product Innovation
New cement types, blended and low-carbon cements, cement-based products and special concretes, taken from lab trials to market launch.
Cement & Concrete Materials
The cement-concrete interface, hydration, microstructure and how they shape performance.
Low-Carbon Binders
Supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) and other low-carbon systems.
Durability & Special Concretes
Corrosion, service life and performance-based specifications; high-performance concrete for buildings, bridges, roads and critical infrastructure.
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance, materials testing, customer technical services and field-performance evaluation.
Sustainability & Decarbonisation
Sustainable construction materials, circularity, resource efficiency and lower-carbon cement production.
Digital Transformation
AI, IoT, predictive analytics and digital twins for process control, quality and data-driven engineering decisions.
Career
Global cement industry leadership
April 1990 – June 2022 · 32 years · India, Malaysia and Africa
Quarry Limestone inspection, where cement quality beginsPlant Technical review with the operations team
Over three decades of senior manufacturing and technical leadership with leading cement organisations, up to President – Manufacturing and plant head, running large integrated operations in India and international markets at scale.
Dalmia CementUltraTech CementShree CementLafarge Asia-PacificReliance CementJK Lakshmi CementKanodia Group
People & leadership
Built and led large multidisciplinary plant and technical teams across countries. Developing engineers and managers into capable technical leaders has been a constant thread of the career, creating high-performance organisations with a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
Manufacturing excellence
Improved clinker reactivity, optimised heat and mass balance and raised alternative fuel use (TSR), delivering measurable cuts in specific heat and power consumption while holding product quality.
Projects & turnarounds
Key role in greenfield and brownfield projects, technology selection, process stabilisation and the operational turnaround of cement plants.
Product development
New products including advanced cement systems, cement-based products and special concretes built for performance, durability and sustainability.
Sustainability & Industry 4.0
Decarbonisation strategies, AFR optimisation and the integration of digital and advanced process control systems.
Industry–academia bridge
Guided two Ph.D. scholars to completion, linking plant-level expertise with advanced research and innovation.
Global experience
Global experience
Four regions that shaped this career, from plant leadership to research collaboration. Engagements are scheduled across time zones.
Pennsylvania State University Teaching, research and academic collaborationDurham, USA The Fuqua School of Business, Duke UniversitySunnyvale, USA LinkedIn headquarters, Silicon Valley
Research
Research, publications & patents
261 research, technical and professional articles and 14 patents across materials, manufacturing processes and technology innovation.
Penn State University With graduate researchers in the materials testing laboratory
Selected publications
A selection from 261 research and technical articles, most recent first.
August 2026Low-Carbon Cement Alternatives: From LC3 to Geopolymers – The Global Transition to Sustainable ConcreteConcrete Engineering International
July 2026Climate-Resilient Marine Concrete: Durability, Service-Life Prediction and Adaptation Strategies Under Climate ChangeInternational Concrete Construction Technologies · July–August 2026 issue
2024Sustainable Low-Carbon Cements: Insights into Clinker Reduction TechnologiesInternational Construction Technology · 12(4), 210–218
Regular invited talks for engineering institutions, industry forums and universities on special concretes, low-carbon cement and the future of the profession.
19 September 2026
Special Concretes for Modern Construction
Global practices, cement-admixture compatibility and durability
The Institution of Engineers (India), Dharwad
22 August 2026 · Capacity Building Workshop
LC3 Technology: From Laboratory Success to Industrial Scale
Challenges, innovations and pathways for accelerated adoption in India
IIT Roorkee
21 August 2026 · Department of Civil Engineering
The Future of the Civil Engineer
Skills, technologies and careers for 2035
IIT Roorkee
9 December 2025 · Invited Talk
Engineering Opportunities in North Karnataka
Sustainable infrastructure and the road to Viksit Bharat 2047
Institution of Engineers (India), Dharwad
18 February 2025 · Moderator
Smart Tech for Cement Industry
Virtual discussion forum with digital and technical leaders from UltraTech, Nuvoco, JSW Cement, FLSmidth and ABB
Cement Expo Forum 2025, FIRST Construction Council
2025 · Session Keynote
Indian Cement Review Conference & Awards 2025
Keynote address at the 15th Cement Expo, organised by Indian Cement Review
2024 · Invited Speaker
Sustainable Materials & Technologies in Bridge Construction
International Seminar, Indian Roads Congress with PIARC, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and PWD Karnataka
Also
Advanced Concrete Formulation: Innovation in Durability EnhancementCollaborative session, Department of Civil Engineering, KLS Gogte Institute of Technology, Belagavi
Customer-Centric Approach in the Cement IndustryGuest lecture, JGI
Speaker and Panelist, 2024World of Concrete India
Invited lecturesIIT Roorkee · IIT Dharwad · Gogte Institute of Technology · BITS Pilani · VIT · SRM University · The Institution of Engineers (India)
Strategic advisory
Advisory for the cement industry
Independent, confidential advice for cement companies, technology providers, institutions and policy bodies, grounded in three decades of plant leadership.
01
Plant & Manufacturing Advisory
Kiln and cooler performance, heat and power efficiency, process stabilisation, plant turnarounds and technology selection for greenfield and brownfield projects.
02
Low-Carbon Cement & Decarbonisation
Clinker factor reduction, LC3 and SCM adoption, and alternative fuel (AFR / TSR) roadmaps that protect kiln output and clinker quality.
03
AI & Digital Cement Technologies
Advanced process control, predictive analytics and digital twins, from choosing the right use cases to plant-level implementation.
04
Product Development & Concrete Performance
New cement types, cement-based products and special concretes, with durability, field performance and customer technical service.
Institutional & editorial roles
Advisor, CSTEPCentre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy: sustainability and decarbonisation
Expert Panel MemberCement Manufacturers Association, New Delhi
Industry advisoryMultinational cement companies in India and overseas
Editorial and advisory boardsIndian Cement Review · Cement and Its Applications (Russia) · Construction Times · International Concrete Construction Technologies
Working session Product Development Program (POD) with an industry innovation team
Gallery
Moments from the work
Lecture halls, laboratories, plant floors and boardrooms. Choose a theme, or select any photo to view it full size.
Indian Roads Congress International seminar on bridge materials, 2024Institution of Engineers (India), Dharwad Road to Viksit Bharat 2047, December 2025Penn State University With graduate researchers in the testing labSession Keynote Indian Cement Review Conference, 2025Indian Roads Congress On stage with Indian and international delegatesIIT Dharwad Honoured during a visit to IIT DharwadQuarry inspection Limestone quarry site visitNCB training programme With participants at the Centre for Continuing Education ServicesInstitution of Engineers (India) Special Concretes for Modern Construction, Dharwad, 2026KLE Technological University With the student racing team and their trophiesSmart Tech for Cement Industry Moderator, Cement Expo Forum, 18 February 2025Pennsylvania State University Teaching, research and academic collaborationGogte Institute of Technology Advanced Concrete Formulation session, BelagaviPlant review Technical review with the operations teamPlant team With the operations teamLC3 workshop Certificate of appreciation, IIT Roorkee, 2026Guest lecture, JGI Customer-centric approach in the cement industryLaboratory visit In an analytical research laboratoryFelicitation Honoured with a traditional shawl and garlandChandana P.U. College, Sirsi Felicitated by MEARD's Chandana P.U. CollegeIIT Roorkee With faculty at the James Thomason BuildingProduct Development Program Working session with an industry innovation teamFuqua School of Business Duke University, Durham, North CarolinaIndustry visit Welcomed by the host teamPlant office With colleagues at the plantLinkedIn headquarters Sunnyvale, California
Success in balance
When work is guided by purpose and life is anchored in values, success becomes more meaningful.Dr S B Hegde
Recognition is fulfilling, but true success is deeper. It lies in staying rooted while continuing to contribute.
