Dealers and stockists are the vital links between the cement industry and its customers. They are the people who are in constant touch with the end-users. They are the ‘pulse of the industry’. 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.Vasanth Kumar of Balaji TradersVasanth Kumar of Balaji Traders has been in the cement business for the last 3 years. The company deals in ACC, Zuari, Bharathi, Penna, Priya, Chettinad, J.K, Dalmia, Nagarjuna, Mahashakthi, Parashakthi Cement. Their area of operations is confined to east Bangalore only. ACC and Zuari are the largest selling brands of the company. The largest selling cement grades of the company include OPC of Zuari and .53 grade PPC of ACC. The ratio of institutional sales to retail sales is 4:6. He further stated, "Their monthly dispatch is around 1200-1500 tons. They maintain a cement stock of around 100 tons approximately. "Commenting on the support received from cement companies, he reiterated, "the companies assist us through advertisements and sales promotional activities." Vasanth Kumar also stated that cement stocks are delayed sometimes due to problems related to logistics and power. Commenting on the shift towards Goods and Services Tax (GST), he stated, "the change in the tax regime will lead to a rise in cost of overheads as well as retail prices."