Dealers and stockists are the vital links of cement industry. They are the people, who are in constant touch with the user industry. They can be rightly said to be the ‘pulse of the industry’. Through this column, we bring to you the voice of the dealers and stockists, featuring their suggestions, expectations and much more, for a better tomorrow for the industry.Mitan Kampani is the director of R K Powertech Services Pvt Ltd. R K Powertech Services Pvt Ltd supplies cement in Mumbai and Gujarat. He is a dealer for Jaypee Cement. "I deal in Jaypee Cement, which is the 3rd largest cement producer in India" said Kampani and added, "Growth of business is very good". When asked about the largest selling grade of cement, Kampani replied "OPC cement is primarily used in large construction site and Ready-mix plant while PPC is used in IHB segment and retail sale." When asked about his view on the effect of volatility in cement price, Kampani said "Yes, price volatility is there but that is based on the demand and supply in the market. If the demand is more the prices would increase, and due to climatic conditions when the sales are low the prices would decrease accordingly. Price change does affect us as we have to convince the customer and explain the reason for the price change. Due to that it takes time for customer to place the orders as they always check with other suppliers. Our company’s monthly dispatch is around 2,500-3,000 MT." Kampani informs that customers are price sensitive and he has to do a lot of convincing and above all have a good relationship with the customer so that they do not go with any other brands. When asked about his suggestion for improving sales, Kampani replied "Sales can be improved by more advertisements, promotions, conducting meetings with architects, giving presentations, etc". When asked about the support provided by the manufacturers, Kampani replied, "Support provided by Jaypee Cement is very good; their technical team along with their marketing and sales team are always there to support us." Delay in unloading cement at the customer site is the main reason for logistic delay, and this is the main cause of concern with all the cement dealers, as the same truck is then used to cater another customer, he says. "If the trucks are not unloaded in time the same truck is not brought back in time for next loading and that leads to delay in supplying to next customer," he adds on the issues related to dispatches.