CEMENT INDUSTRY

 

 

 

Introduction

 

            Cement is a key infrastructure industry.  It has been decontrolled from price and distribution on 1^st March, 1989 and delicensed on 25^th July, 1991.   However, the performance of the industry and prices of cement are monitored regularly.   The constraints faced by the industry are reviewed in the Infrastructure Coordination Committee meetings held in the Cabinet Secretariat under the Chairmanship of Secretary (Coordination).   Its performance is also reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure.

 

Capacity and Production

The cement industry comprises of 125 large cement plants with an installed capacity of 148.28 million tonnes and more than 300 mini cement plants with an estimated capacity of 11.10 million tonnes per annum.   The Cement Corporation of India, which is a Central Public Sector Undertaking, has 10 units.   There are 10 large cement plants owned by various State Governments.   The total installed capacity in the country as a whole is 159.38  million tonnes.    Actual cement production in 2002-03 was 116.35 million tonnes as against a production of 106.90 million tonnes in 2001-02, registering a growth rate of 8.84%.

Keeping in view the trend of growth of the industry in previous years, a production target of 126 million tonnes has been fixed for the year 2003-04.   During the period April-June 2003, a production (provisional) was 31.30 million tonnes. The industry has achieved a growth rate of 4.86 per cent during this period.

 

Exports

Apart from meeting the entire domestic demand, the industry is also exporting cement and clinker.    The export of cement during 2001-02 and 2003-04  was 5.14 million tonnes and 6.92 million tonnes respectively.  Export during April-May, 2003 was 1.35 million tonnes.    Major exporters were Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd. and L&T Ltd.

 

Recommendations on Cement Industry

            For the development of the cement industry ‘Working Group on Cement Industry’ was constituted by the Planning Commission for the formulation of X Five Year Plan.   The Working Group has projected  a growth rate of 10% for the cement industry during the plan period and has projected creation of additional capacity of 40-62 million tonnes mainly through expansion of existing plants.   The Working Group has identified following thrust areas for improving demand for cement;

 

(i)                Further push to housing development programmes;

(ii)              Promotion of concrete Highways and roads; and

(iii)            Use of ready-mix concrete in large infrastructure projects.

Further, in order to improve global competitiveness of the Indian Cement Industry, the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion commissioned a study on the global competitiveness of the Indian Industry through an organization of international repute, viz. KPMG Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.   The report submitted by the organization has made several recommendations for making the Indian Cement Industry more competitive in the international market.   The recommendations are under consideration.

 

Technological change

Cement industry has made tremendous strides in technological upgradation and assimilation of latest technology.  At present ninety three per cent of the total capacity in the industry is based on modern and environment-friendly dry process technology and only seven per cent of the capacity is based on old wet and semi-dry process technology. There is tremendous scope for waste heat recovery in cement plants and thereby reduction in emission level.  One project for co-generation of power utilizing waste heat in an Indian cement plant is being implemented with Japanese assistance under Green Aid Plan.  The induction of advanced technology has helped the industry immensely to conserve energy and fuel and to save materials substantially.   India is also producing different varieties of cement like Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Portland Blast Furnace Slag Cement (PBFS), Oil Well Cement, Rapid Hardening Portland Cement, Sulphate Resisting Portland Cement, White Cement etc.   Production of these varieties of cement conform to the BIS Specifications.  It is worth mentioning that some cement plants have set up dedicated jetties for promoting bulk transportation and export.