Calderys at ICRJ 2026: Advancing Refractory Innovation for India’s Steel Industry
We were honored to have Dr. Indra Nath Chakraborty, Technical Advisor to the SVP APAC and Board Director at Calderys in India, as one of the keynote speakers at ICRJ 2026.
Strong Technical Contributions from Calderys
Calderys demonstrated strong technical leadership through multiple paper presentations and active session involvement focused on the Iron & Steel segment:
Saumen Sinha, Director of Innovation & Technology, APAC, chaired the session “Future-Ready Technologies for the Steel Industry,” facilitating insightful discussions on innovation, sustainability, and advanced refractory technologies required to support India’s rapidly growing steel industry.
Gourav Pravash, Innovation & Technology, APAC, presented the paper “Development of Indigenous Basic Monolithics for Steel Applications,” highlighting Calderys’ efforts to develop high-performance basic gunning materials and dry vibratory masses (DVM) tailored to Indian steelmaking conditions. The presentation covered thermo-mechanical behavior, corrosion resistance, application performance, and lifecycle improvement—key to reducing downtime and improving productivity in steel melting shops. These basic gunning materials are being developed and produced at Calderys plant in Odisha manufacturing facility (CAPES).
CAPES is the world's largest single-site greenfield refractory and fluxes plant. Once fully completed, the site will house six advanced production lines, covering acidic and basic monolithics, acidic and basic bricks, steel casting fluxes, and tap-hole clays, significantly strengthening Calderys’ local manufacturing footprint. Since September 2025, the acidic and basic monolithics lines have become operational and gradually ramping up to serve the refractory needs of customers across India.
Tuhin Patranabish, Innovation & Technology, APAC, presented a paper on “Development of Tap Hole Clay for Mini Blast Furnace – Producing Foundry Grade Iron,” showcasing indigenous tap hole clay solutions designed to ensure safe tapping operations and consistent iron quality in mini blast furnace applications.
Recognition of Emerging Talent
A proud moment for Calderys was the recognition of Gaurav Sinha, General Manager Quality & process control, Calderys in India, who received the B.N. Ghosh Memorial Young Refractory Technologist Award from the Indian Ceramic Society (Jamshedpur Chapter) at ICRJ 2026—acknowledging his outstanding contributions and potential in refractory technology.
Commitment to India’s Industrial Growth
Through continuous innovation and indigenous development, Calderys continues to pioneer technology advancement in refractories across India and the region. With the commissioning of the CAPES plant in Odisha, Calderys is evolving into a complete, locally anchored solutions provider, offering customers shorter lead times, supply chain reliability, and high-performance refractory solutions to support their operational excellence.
Our participation at ICRJ 2026 reflects our focus on developing future-ready refractory solutions for the Iron & Steel industry and beyond.
Thank you, Indian Ceramic Society, Jamshedpur Chapter and Tata Steel, for organizing this event, and thanks to all the speakers and participants for the engaging discussions and collaboration.