Concrete

Base effect hides monthly decline

Published

5 years ago

October 19, 2021

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Steel and cement sector witnessed a growth of 59.3 per cent and 7.9 per cent (YoY) respectively, which reflects the capex push provided by the Central and State governments. The decline in case of cement and steel production is mainly due to impact of the record surge in Covid-19 cases in May 2021 and the associated lockdowns on construction activity.

The Eight core sector should be read with caution again as the favourable base effect is again at play for the third consecutive month. In May 2021, core sector output rose by 16.8 per cent as against a contraction of 21.4 per cent in May 2020. On a month on month level comparison, there has been a marginal decline of 3.7 per cent which reflects the impact of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns on business activities. One should note that May has been characterised by lockdowns of varied nature in both FY21 and FY22. The localised lockdowns during May??1 did have a bearing on output of the 8-core sector to some extent while the double-digit growth can be chiefly ascribed to the low growth number in May??020. There has been an upward revision in the core sector growth data for April??1 to 60.9 per cent (previous estimate: 56 per cent).

The double-digit Y-O-Y growth has been primarily driven strong growth registered in steel, natural gas and refinery products. Month-on-month improvement has been registered in case of fertilisers (ahead of kharif season), natural gas and coal production. The monthly index for May??1 is still 6.1 per cent lower than the pre-pandemic index of February??0 and 8.2 per cent lower than May??019 (the year prior to the pandemic). So far in FY22, the core sector output has witnessed a growth of 35.8 per cent compared with a de-growth of 29.4 per cent in the corresponding month last year but this purely a baseeffect phenomenon. There could be support from government capex as the fiscal numbers for this period show higher outlay on roads.

Key highlights

Coal production was higher by 6.9 per cent in May 2021 as against -14.1 per cent in May 2021. Despite the 2nd wave of the COVID19 pandemic disrupting business activities during the month, there has been a month-on-month improvement of 3.1 per cent in coal production on the back of revival in demand from the power sector.

Crude oil production fell by 6.3 per cent in May 2021, registering the 42nd consecutive monthly decline. The decline in production can be ascribed to adverse climatic conditions created by cyclone Tauktae, which hit the Indian west coast coupled with less than planned contribution from workover wells, drilling wells and old wells. The overall production has also been lower owing to lower consumer demand, infectivity issues in few wells, workovers and water knockouts.

Natural gas production rose by 20.1 per cent in May??021 compared with contraction of 16.7 per cent in May??020 mainly due to higher output from the PSC fields. However, production in government fields were low due to reduced gas production in Western Offshore due to cyclone Taukate, delay in commencement of gas production and less offtake by consumers due to Covid-19 issues. Natural gas production by Pvt/JVs companies in the PSC (production sharing contracts) regime has almost tripled on a YoY basis. This is due to increased contributions from D-34 field of KG DWN 98/3 and wells from satellite cluster.

Refinery production rose by 15.3 per cent in May??1 as against a de-growth of 21.3 per cent in May??020. There has however been a month-on-month decline of 4.6 per cent reflective of lower consumer demand amidst the localised lockdowns during the 2nd wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. Products that witnessed a rise in production were high speed diesel, petrol, liquefied petroleum gas, aviation turbine fuel and petcoke, while fuel oil and kerosene saw a fall in output during this month.

Fertiliser production declined to a 14-month low of 9.6 per cent in May 2021 compared with a high base of 7.5 per cent in May 2020. The m-o-m growth of 16.1 per cent can be ascribed fertilizer manufacturing companies increasing their production in May over April in anticipation of good demand ahead of the kharif sowing season. Along with this, the Centre increased the subsidy on fertilizers in mid-May after fertilizer producers announced their plans of increasing prices due to a surge in international feedstock prices. This hike in subsidies assuaged manufacturers??worries around a fall in demand from farmers. This is likely to have supported production too.

Steel and cement registered a growth of 59.3 per cent and 7.9 per cent (YoY) respectively which does reflect the capex push provided by the governments at both Centre and State level along with a low base effect. The m-o-m decline in case of cement and steel production highlights the impact of the record surge in Covid-19 cases in May 2021 and the associated lockdowns on construction activity. Labour shortages due to reverse migration also had a bearing on construction activities during May??021.

Electricity generation rose by 7.3 per cent in May 2021 as against a low base of 14.8 per cent in May 2020. However, there has been a month-on-month decline of 7.1 per cent as states imposed lockdowns to rein in the devastating effect of the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The higher usage of electricity in residential locations during the summer season limited the monthly moderation to some extent.

CARE Ratings??View

There has been a dip in the core sector index for May??021 compared with the previous month which reflects the impact of the localised lockdowns on business activity. However, as economic activities, especially in the industrial segment were not significantly affected in June 2021, output of the core sector will witness an improvement. There has been a strong push for capex from the Government which will drive steel and cement while the advent of the kharif season will drive fertilizer production. The impact of the base-effect will continue in the next few months but will fade away subsequently. The IIP for the month of May??021 could range between 20-30 per cent though one should not read much into it.

Courtesy: CARE Ratings

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

The article is authored by Sushant Hede, Associate Economist. He can be contacted on: Email: sushant.hede@careratings.com | Tel: 91-22-6837 4348

Disclaimer: This report is prepared by CARE Ratings Limited. CARE Ratings has taken utmost care to ensure accuracy and objectivity while developing this report based on information available in public domain. However, neither the accuracy nor completeness of information contained in this report is guaranteed. CARE Ratings is not responsible for any errors or omissions in analysis / inferences / views or for results obtained from the use of information contained in this report and especially states that CARE Ratings has no financial liability whatsoever to the user of this report.

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Concrete

Cement Prices to Stay Flat in Q2 FY27 as Costs Squeeze Margins

HDFC Securities warns monsoon slowdown and higher fuel costs

Published

3 hours ago

July 17, 2026

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HDFC Securities has said the cement industry is unlikely to register a sequential increase in prices in Q2 FY27 as monsoon-related demand moderation coincides with rising fuel and packaging costs that will squeeze margins. The brokerage observed that price gains remained modest, with increases of two to three per cent quarter-on-quarter across regions, and noted subdued offtake in May with improvement in June as a delayed monsoon supported construction activity. The brokerage added that modest pricing gains so far have been insufficient to offset the input cost escalation.

The report stated that input cost pressures intensified in Q1 FY27 owing to the West Asia conflict, which pushed up coal and pet coke prices and is expected to keep fuel costs elevated, with a likely peak in Q2 FY27. It assessed that total variable costs, including packing, could rise by around Rs 150 per t quarter-on-quarter and that lower offtake and seasonal operating deleverage could further raise operating expenditure by about Rs 50 per t quarter-on-quarter.

Overall, cement prices were estimated to remain flat in Q2 FY27 as monsoon-led demand weakness offsets limited upside in realisation, and rising fuel costs alongside seasonal deleverage were expected to compress industry margins by over Rs 100 per t quarter-on-quarter to below Rs 880 per t. The brokerage indicated that the combined impact of energy inflation and higher packing expenditure would be the principal drivers of margin contraction in the near term. HDFC Securities projected a recovery in margins in H2 FY27 should the West Asia turmoil subside and energy and packing costs cool off.

The brokerage expressed optimism on long-term demand fundamentals and said improving realisation together with an anticipated cost cool-off should support a margin rebound from H2 FY27 onward, underpinning favourable industry prospects over the medium term. Its outlook rests on monsoon normalisation and a decline in imported fuel prices in the second half of the fiscal year.

Concrete

Dalmia Bharat Begins Rs 31 Bn Green Cement Unit in Kadapa

New Andhra Pradesh plant to add 9.6 MTPA cement capacity by FY28

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2026

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Dalmia Bharat Limited recently laid the foundation stone for its second manufacturing unit at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. The company will invest Rs 31 billion in developing the next-generation integrated cement manufacturing facility.

The foundation-laying ceremony was attended by Nara Lokesh, Andhra Pradesh Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Real-Time Governance and Human Resources Development, along with Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dalmia Bharat, senior government officials and company representatives.

Scheduled to be commissioned by the third quarter of FY28, the Kadapa unit will become Dalmia Bharat’s largest integrated manufacturing facility in southern India. It will have a clinker production capacity of 6.1 million tonnes per annum and a cement manufacturing capacity of 9.6 million tonnes per annum.

The facility is designed to produce what the company describes as one of the world’s greenest cements. It is also expected to generate approximately 1,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities while supporting local MSMEs, transporters, contractors and service providers.

Lokesh said the investment reflected Dalmia Bharat’s confidence in Andhra Pradesh and aligned with the state’s objective of promoting sustainable industrialisation, job creation and technology-led economic growth.

Puneet Dalmia said the project represented the company’s long-term vision of developing low-carbon cement manufacturing assets. He added that the facility would establish new benchmarks in operational efficiency and sustainability while supporting India’s infrastructure and environmental goals.

Dalmia Bharat will also expand its regional community development programmes in education, healthcare, skill development and welfare through its DIKSHa and Gram Parivartan initiatives.

The company currently has an installed cement manufacturing capacity of 54.7 million tonnes across 19 manufacturing units in 12 states. It is also the first cement company globally to commit to the RE100, EP100 and EV100 initiatives.

Concrete

Nuvoco Inaugurates Limla Cement Plant in Surat

Acquisition boosts Western India cement capacity

Published

2 days ago

July 15, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited inaugurated the Limla Cement Plant in Surat, Gujarat, marking a key milestone in its acquisition and revival of Vadraj Cement Limited.

The company completed the acquisition of Vadraj, which had been undergoing a corporate insolvency resolution process, by discharging a consideration of Rs 18 billion (bn) in June 2025. Vadraj’s asset base includes a clinker unit at Kutch and a grinding unit at Limla, along with high quality captive limestone reserves and a captive jetty at Kutch that enhance logistics efficiency.

Since taking over the assets, Nuvoco has undertaken revival, refurbishment and expansion across both sites, culminating in the opening of the Limla facility. The grinding unit at Limla achieved project completion ahead of schedule with the commissioning of two million tonnes per annum (mn t per annum) grinding capacity, further expanding the company’s scale and market reach.

Upon full operationalisation of the Vadraj assets, nearly 40 per cent of Nuvoco’s total cement capacity will be accounted for by plants in the North and West regions, supporting improved access to high growth markets. The plant is expected to support a phased volume ramp up in Gujarat and to serve adjoining markets in western Maharashtra while releasing northern capacities for other markets.

It will produce a complete portfolio of cement products including Ordinary Portland Cement, Portland Slag Cement, Portland Pozzolana Cement and Portland Composite Cement, and will offer the Duraguard range including the premium Duraguard Microfibre. The transaction is set to create synergies with Nuvoco’s existing manufacturing facilities at Nimbol and Chittorgarh, strengthening logistics optimisation and market access across key regions.

Nuvoco reported total income of Rs 113.62 billion (bn) in FY 2025-26 and stated it is on track to consolidate total cement capacity to 35 million tonnes per annum (mn t per annum) by FY2028. The company operates across cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials segments and highlighted a pan-India ready-mix presence alongside contributions to major infrastructure projects. Corporate communications contact details were provided by the company.