Concrete

Cement industry witnesses surge of Rs 45-50 per bag in April

Cement demand might rise to 10-12% in coming months in FY23

Published

4 years ago

April 28, 2022

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With rising input costs, fluctuating imported coal prices and crude, and expectations of improving demand, the cement industry witnessed a price hike in April by Rs 45-50 per bag, which was a 12% month-on-month (MoM) hike.

It is among the steepest hike in cement prices since January. In north India, the price hike was over Rs 50 per bag, 14% MoM.

Southern Indian markets witnessed about an 8-10% hike in April, at about Rs 30 per bag. Prices are around Rs 392 -400 per bag, up from the March price of Rs 362?370 per bag.

In the western part, cement prices rose by Rs 45-50 per bag, around 12% MoM, to Rs 423 per bag.

In central India, the hike was about 11% MoM, up by around Rs 40 per bag to Rs 421 per bag in April.

The eastern market witnessed a price hike of 13-14% MoM, at Rs 384 per bag.

According to IDBI Capital, the price hike resulted in weaker demand, but demand might rebound in the coming months. The cement demand might increase to 10-12% in FY23.

The increased input cost has led to an increase in the production cost by at least Rs 60-70 per bag.

The average imported coal price has remained volatile, as it has again increased above $300 per tonne.

According to analysts, the impact of the rise in coal and petcoke prices will have a lag effect, and it will reflect in the coming quarters.

ACC Cement, which declared results for the January-March quarter, witnessed the input cost pressure take a toll on its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) margin. The margin shrunk over 600 basis points year-on-year (YoY). Its EBITDA margin was at 14.3%, lower than 20%. However, its blended EBITDA was down by 24% YoY.

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Also read: Cement prices shows an uptick in March as demand grows

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Concrete

India’s Core Sector Growth Eases to 4.8 Per Cent in August

Cement, electricity and iron ore offset declines in other sectors

Published

13 hours ago

September 26, 2026

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India’s output across eight core industries grew 4.8 per cent year-on-year in August 2026, easing from the revised 5.0 per cent growth recorded in July, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The Index of Core Industries (ICI), which tracks eight key infrastructure sectors, accounts for a significant share of the Index of Industrial Production.

Cement production led the expansion with growth of 12.5 per cent, followed by electricity at 11.6 per cent and iron ore at 5.5 per cent. Steel output increased 3.4 per cent, while refinery products rose 2.6 per cent during the month. The ministry identified cement, electricity and iron ore as the main contributors to overall core sector growth in recent months.

The gains were partly offset by contractions in several sectors. Coal output declined 3.8 per cent year-on-year, while natural gas and crude oil production fell 4.9 per cent and 3.6 per cent, respectively. Fertiliser production recorded the sharpest decline, falling 12.4 per cent in August.

Cumulative growth in the ICI during April-August 2026 stood at 4.3 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent in the corresponding period a year earlier. Steel output increased 4.1 per cent during the period, while cement and electricity production grew 10.3 per cent and 9.6 per cent, respectively.

Coal, natural gas, crude oil, refinery products and fertilisers recorded negative cumulative growth during April-August. Their contractions stood at 3.2 per cent, 4.4 per cent, 4.1 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 6.7 per cent, respectively. The ministry also revised the final ICI for July to 120.8 from the earlier provisional estimate of 121.2, resulting in a downward revision in the month’s growth rate to 5.0 per cent from 5.4 per cent.

Concrete

Jammu Division Begins First Cement Rail Traffic to Anantnag

Cement Loading From Kathua for Anantnag to Begin on September 14

Published

6 days ago

September 21, 2026

admin

Jammu Railway Division has placed an indent for the first movement of cement by rail within the division, linking Shaheed Captain Sunil Kumar Choudhary Kathua Railway Station with Anantnag Railway Station. Loading for the consignment is scheduled to begin on September 14.

Concrete

Hard Worker Wins Three Honours at Kyoorius Design Awards

Ramco Cements’ brand secures Grand Prix and two Blue Elephant honours.

Published

6 days ago

September 21, 2026

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The Ramco Cements Limited’s construction chemicals brand, Hard Worker, has won three honours at the Kyoorius Design Awards 2026, including the Grand Prix – Grey Elephant in the Design in Action category.

The brand also secured two Blue Elephant honours, one for Design in Action and another for Packaging, recognising the design approach behind its brand identity and packaging.

Launched in 2025, Hard Worker entered the construction chemicals segment with the brand promise, “Hard-working products for hardworking people.” Its visual identity uses animals and birds to represent product benefits. The camel represents the water-retention capability of Hard Worker Eco Plaster, while the cheetah represents the speed and performance of Hard Worker Block Fix.

The visual language has been extended across packaging, retail, communication, literature, digital platforms and other brand touchpoints. Hard Worker uses bold colours, distinctive animal illustrations and simple visual storytelling to communicate product benefits across markets and audiences, including construction workers and applicators.

“For Hard Worker, design was never an afterthought. It was fundamental to how we wanted to build the brand. In a category that is largely functional, we wanted to create a brand that people could recognise, understand and remember instantly. The Kyoorius recognition is a wonderful validation of this design-led approach,” said Mr. AV Dharmakrishnan, CEO, The Ramco Cements Limited.

Mr. Balaji K. Moorthy, Executive Director – Marketing, Ramco Cements said “In a category where communication has traditionally been product-led and functional, we wanted Hard Worker to stand apart by making design an integral part of the brand experience. From the distinctive animal-led packaging to our communication across consumer and trade touchpoints, every element was designed to make the brand more memorable and the product benefits easier to understand.”

Within its first 12 months, Hard Worker crossed Rs 3.5 bn in sales. The latest recognition follows six honours secured by the brand’s campaign at the Kyoorius Creative Awards earlier in 2026, including the Grey Elephant Grand Prix for its Eco Plaster film.

The Kyoorius Design Awards recognise outstanding design work in India’s visual communications sector across multiple categories and platforms. The 2026 awards were announced on 12 September in Goa.

The Ramco Cements Limited is part of the Ramco Group and operates across cement and allied building-material solutions. Hard Worker is its construction chemicals brand, offering solutions across key construction applications.