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Gulf Business
3 hours ago
- Gulf Business
Asian Paints launches world's first internal curing concrete additive in UAE
Image: Asian Paints 'With CureAssure, we're not just launching a product; we're redefining a foundational step in construction. This innovation reflects our commitment to sustainable solutions that work in the real world,' said Joseph Eapen, CEO of Asian Paints. Joseph Eapen, CEO of Asian Paints Curing is one of the most critical but often overlooked phases in concrete construction, influencing structural strength and durability. In the Middle East, this step is frequently compromised by extreme temperatures, labour constraints, and compressed project timelines. These site challenges often result in shrinkage cracks and reduced long-term performance. Asian Paints' CureAssure addresses these issues by introducing internal curing directly into the concrete mix. The additive enables hydration to occur from within, eliminating the need for external water or surface curing compounds. This approach reduces plastic shrinkage and cracking, ensures greater durability, and guarantees consistency across varying site conditions. It also aligns the performance of on-site concrete with laboratory-tested standards — a vital requirement for real-world reliability. 'Developing CureAssure meant rethinking curing from the inside out,' said Amit DasGupta, chief senior manager – Technology, AP Global. 'Rather than treating symptoms on the surface, we focused on solving the root cause, by embedding water availability directly where it's needed. The result is a more robust, reliable concrete structure, regardless of the environment it's placed in.' CureAssure has received approval from Dubai Municipality and validation from ICC-ES. Free of hazardous substances, it is compatible with all types of Portland cement, pozzolanic blends, and both water-reducing (WR) and set-retarding (SR) admixtures. The additive meets globally recognised standards including ACI 308 guidelines for internal curing, ACI 318 structural durability provisions, ASTM C494/C494M Type S, and EN 934-2 European admixture compatibility norms. Aligned with the UAE Water Security Strategy 2036, CureAssure's elimination of external curing also removes the need for desalinated water in the construction process. Asian Paints estimates that the water saved annually could fill 3,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools, irrigate over 6,000 acres of desert farmland, or meet the monthly water needs of 450,000 households. The solution also contributes to low-carbon, zero-waste construction practices by reducing the need for water transport, on-site manpower, and curing-related emissions. With over 80 years of expertise in coatings and construction materials, Asian Paints is among the top two paint companies in Asia and operates 26 manufacturing plants across 15 countries. The launch of CureAssure represents a strategic expansion of its regional footprint and underscores the company's commitment to delivering smarter, safer, and more sustainable infrastructure solutions across the GCC.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Nvidia-backed 'Super Bowl of AI' is going to Washington
Nvidia announced on Tuesday that the company's flagship and much-anticipated GTC conference will take place in Washington this year. During the last graphics processing unit technology conference (GTC) in March, chief executive Jensen Huang, who has become one of the tech world's most recognisable figures in recent years, described the event as the 'Woodstock' and 'Super Bowl' of artificial intelligence. The company said it is the first time the GTC summit, scheduled for October 27-29, will take place in Washington. 'GTC DC brings together researchers, developers, business leaders, and policymakers in the heart of our nation's capital to explore breakthroughs in AI, robotics, life sciences, energy, quantum and 6G-advancing innovations vital to America's technological leadership,' said Mr Huang. During Nvidia's GTC conference hosted in California this year, Mr Huang introduced new chips and spoke of his vision for Agentic AI, autonomous vehicles, robotics and accelerated computing. The announcement comes after he strongly endorsed President Donald Trump's recently announced AI Action Plan during an event in Washington. Nvidia's chief executive has made trips to Washington over the course of this year, and more specifically the White House, where he has sought to reverse what he has described harmful chip export policies enacted under former US president Joe Biden. Mr Huang has been somewhat successful with regard to those lobbying efforts: the Trump administration announced plans last month to grant licences to Nvidia so it could resume sales of its H20 GPU to China. That decision, however, was met with criticism from some Senate Democrats and technology analysts, who described the H20 chip sales to China was 'an abrupt departure' from the administration's position in April that Beijing's access to the processors posed a serious national security risk. Last week, a representative for the US Department of Commerce defended the licences and said they were an improvement on recent years, claiming that the Biden administration had not imposed 'any restrictions on the H20 whatsoever and they flowed freely into China'. The representative added that the Trump White House was the first to implement a licence requirement for the exports to Beijing. 'The Trump administration will consider any H20 licence applications carefully,' the Commerce Department representative told The National. Nvidia also defended the company's push to sell the H20 to China. 'The H20 helps America win the support of developers worldwide, promoting America's economic and national security,' an Nvidia representative told The National. 'It does not enhance anyone's military capabilities, and the US government has full visibility and authority over every H20 transaction.' Despite continued controversy over exports to China, Nvidia has had many reasons to do a victory lap in recent weeks. In July, it become the first public company in the world to pass $4 trillion in market capitalisation. Nvidia has also played a major role in a global AI infrastructure project backed by the UAE, and in May, the company, along with Oracle and OpenAI, teamed up with Abu Dhabi's G42 to bolster an AI hub project called Stargate UAE.
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
Trump again threatens to 'very substantially' hike tariffs on India over Russian oil
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would increase the tariff charged on imports from India from the current rate of 25% "very substantially" over the next 24 hours, in view of New Delhi's continued purchases of Russian oil. He also said a "zero tariff" offer for imports of U.S. goods into India was not good enough, alleging that India was "fuelling the war" in Ukraine. Trump's threat to India for buying Russian oil started on July 31, when he announced a 25% tariff for Indian goods, along with an unspecified penalty. "They're fuelling the war machine, and if they're going to do that, then I'm not going to be happy," Trump told CNBC in an interview on Tuesday, adding that the main sticking point with India was that its tariffs were too high. "Now, I will say this, India went from the highest tariffs ever. They will give us zero tariffs, and they're going to let us go in. But that's not good enough, because of what they're doing with oil, not good." The latest comment followed a similar threat on Monday, which prompted India's Foreign Ministry to say the country was being unfairly singled out over its purchases of Russian oil. "It is revealing that the very nations criticising India are themselves indulging in trade with Russia (despite the Ukraine war)," it said in a statement issued late on Monday. "It is unjustified to single out India," it added. The EU conducted 67.5 billion euros ($78.0 billion) in trade with Russia in 2024, including record imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) reaching 16.5 million metric tons, the Indian ministry said. The United States continues to import Russian uranium hexafluoride for use in its nuclear power industry, palladium, fertilisers and chemicals, it added, without giving a source for the export information. The U.S. embassy and the EU's delegation in New Delhi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Both the United States and EU have sharply scaled back their trade ties with Russia since it launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. SUDDEN RIFT India is the biggest buyer of seaborne crude from Russia, importing about 1.75 million barrels per day of Russian oil from January to June this year, up 1% from a year ago, according to data provided to Reuters by trade sources. It has faced pressure from the West to distance itself from Russia over the Ukraine war. New Delhi has resisted, citing its longstanding ties with Moscow and economic needs. India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is likely to go ahead with a scheduled visit to Russia this week, two government sources said. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar is expected to visit in the coming weeks. The sudden rift between India and the U.S. has been deepening since July 31. Trump has said that from Friday he will impose new sanctions on Russia as well as on countries that buy its energy exports, unless Moscow takes steps to end the war with Ukraine. The trade tensions have caused concern about the potential impact on India's economy. The equity benchmark BSE Sensex .BSESN closed down 0.38%, while the rupee dropped 0.17% versus the dollar. (Additional reporting by Shivan Patel and Nidhi Verma; Editing by Helen Popper and Gareth Jones)
