The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand Hard Worker has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action track. The brand also received two Blue Elephant honours, one in Design in Action and another in Packaging. The awards recognise the design approach used to develop Hard Worker’s brand identity, packaging and communication across multiple customer and market touchpoints.
Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent specific product characteristics and benefits. For example, the camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix. The same visual approach has been used across packaging, retail, communication material, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints.
The packaging uses bold colours, animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling instead of conventional construction-category design elements. The objective was to make product benefits easier to understand and remember for different audiences, including construction workers and applicators.
“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.
Balaji K Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements, said, “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”
The awards come within the first 12 months of the brand’s launch. Hard Worker has crossed ₹350 crore in sales during this period, reflecting the scale of its market expansion since its introduction.
The latest recognition adds to the brand’s awards received earlier in 2026. Its campaign won six honours at the Kyoorius Creative Awards, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film. The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise design work in India’s visual communications sector across a range of categories and platforms. Entries are evaluated by a jury comprising design professionals from India and other markets. The Kyoorius Design Awards 2026 were announced in Goa on September 12, 2026.
The Ramco Cements Limited is a cement manufacturer and part of the Ramco Group. The company has operations across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is The Ramco Cements’ construction chemicals brand, offering products for construction applications. The brand combines product performance with visual communication aimed at making product features and benefits easier to identify and understand.
