Cement production to rise by over 10% this fiscal

October 25, 2009: Cement production of India, the world's second largest producer, is estimated to rise by over 10 percent to 200 million tons (mt) in 2009-10, according to industry's projection.

In the last fiscal cement production rose 7.9 percent to 181.61 mt, according to the data provided by Cement Manufacturers' Association.

The industry is expecting higher growth in production and sales this fiscal on the back of the thrust given by the government to infrastructure development.

In the first half of the fiscal, cement output grew 12 percent to 96.73 mt from 86.36 mt in the year-ago period while consumption rose by 11.68 per cent to 94.77 mt from 84.86 mt in the review period.

During April-September period of the current fiscal, the industry's installed production capacity grew by 11.65 mt, of which 7 mt was from setting up new plants while 4.65 mt through expansion.

The installed capacity at the start of this fiscal was 219.17 mt and it has reached 230.82 mt by September 2009.

Industry has added about 60 million tons of capacity in the Eleventh Plan period till August 2009. To meet the growing demand of cement, industry has plans to further ramp up the installed capacity and reach the target of 298 mt by 2011-12.

Source: The Economic Times