Economy & Market

We expect the demand to bounce back from January onward

Published

12 years ago

July 31, 2014

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ICR is constantly in touch with cement dealers, who are the crucial, connecting link between the manufacturer and the consumer. Dealers know the pulse of market, beat by beat. So we asked them how their business was going and what were the problems they were beset with. Here is their response, in their voice.

"We expect the demand to bounce back from January onward." – Sumit Paigude, Proprietor, Amit Steel

We started our services in 1997. Today we are selling around 3500 to 5000 tonnes in a month. At any given point we have a stock of around 1000 bags at our warehouse. We are supplying cement primarily in Pune and also in Solapur city. Our top selling brands include Ambuja, Coromandel and Vasavdatta. We feel that having multiple brands at the shop is better as it offers a variety to the customers. More than that, from a business perspective, it ensures continuity of business. For example, recently we had a huge shortage of Ambuja Cement due to shortage of wagons for transporting the material. The demand for cement was sluggish in past year. This year the demand seems to be improving. We expect the demand to bounce back from January onward. Most of the projects are initiated during Diwali. Recently, cement prices were increased dramatically, which led to a reaction from the builder community. When cement prices were slashed they were reduced in a gradual manner, but when they bounced back the rates increased suddenly. I think that is not a good strategy.

Apart from selling cement we are also into selling steel and such products related to construction. One cannot depend on cement alone as a sole source of revenue.

Concrete

WCA Welcomes SiloConnect as associate corporate member

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

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The World Cement Association (WCA) has announced SiloConnect as its newest associate corporate member, expanding its network of technology providers supporting digitalisation in the cement industry. SiloConnect offers smart sensor technology that provides real-time visibility of cement inventory levels at customer silos, enabling producers to monitor stock remotely and plan deliveries more efficiently. The solution helps companies move from reactive to proactive logistics, improving delivery planning, operational efficiency and safety by reducing manual inspections. The technology is already used by major cement producers such as Holcim, Cemex and Heidelberg Materials and is deployed across more than 30 countries worldwide.

Concrete

TotalEnergies and Holcim Launch Floating Solar Plant in Belgium

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

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TotalEnergies and Holcim have commissioned a floating solar power plant in Obourg, Belgium, built on a rehabilitated former chalk quarry that has been converted into a lake. The project has a generation capacity of 31 MW and produces around 30 GWh of renewable electricity annually, which will be used to power Holcim’s nearby industrial operations. The project is currently the largest floating solar installation in Europe dedicated entirely to industrial self-consumption. To ensure minimal impact on the surrounding landscape, more than 700 metres of horizontal directional drilling were used to connect the solar installation to the electrical substation. The project reflects ongoing collaboration between the two companies to support industrial decarbonisation through renewable energy solutions and innovative infrastructure development.

Concrete

Cortec® Corporation applauded for its strong safety performance

Published

5 days ago

April 13, 2026

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Cortec® Corporation has been recognised for its strong safety performance, receiving its sixth Governor’s Workplace Safety Award for its outstanding performance in 2025. As a Silver Achievement recipient, the company continues to maintain safety metrics well above national industry averages, an impressive accomplishment for a chemical manufacturing organisation. This achievement reflects Cortec’s proactive approach to workplace safety, focused on early hazard detection and employee involvement. The company will be formally recognised at the Minnesota Safety and Health Conference in May, highlighting how industrial companies are effectively strengthening workplace safety standards.