The seismic shift in India’s building materials industry, brought about by the departure of the Holcim Group and the entry of Adani Group number two position, has spurred the race for mergers and acquisitions.

The Indian cement sector is likely to receive yet another shot in the arm with the impending exit of Heidelberg Materials. JSW Cement is reportedly in talks with the German cement maker to acquire their local entities. Heidelberg produces 13.4 million tonnes of cement annually, and if the merger comes through, it will move JSW Cement notches higher on the production ladder. To stay ahead of competition, which will only get tougher in the future, market leader Ultratech has set a target of 200 million tonnes of capacity for itself. Their current capacity 137 million tonnes, so it would mean a 45 percent increase in capacity.
While the JSW Cement-Heidelberg Materials news bodes well for the industry, it also indicates that consolidation in the cement sector is still ‘work-in-progress.’ Market dynamics are changing and cement companies have to constantly face challenges related to rising energy and raw material costs. This is reflected in the rising per bag cost of cement, with fluctuations across the different states. Yet every challenge has a silver lining.
During the lead-up to elections, Year 2023 is marked by heightened political activity. Driven by the government’s desire to showcase development and gain voter support, it results in a substantial increase in the demand for cement. The Central Government is poised to expedite these infrastructure projects with a sense of urgency, recognising that the timely completion of high-profile initiatives serves as a potent form of political campaigning. Therefore, cement demand is expected to increase by 10-12 per cent this fiscal.
Issues such as how political and economic trends are affecting the cement business and how technology can pave the way for achieving net-zero targets will be analysed and discussed at length at the 14th Cement EXPO 2023.
ASAPP Info Global Group (the publisher of Indian Cement Review) will be hosting the 14th Cement EXPO on 14-15 December, 2023, at Manekshaw Centre in Delhi, where the CEOs from the cement industry, who are planning investments of 145 MT in the next five years, are headed. They need to plan for automation, logistics, material handling, energy efficiency etc. To exhibit and know more about Cement EXPO, simply scan the QR Code below.

Follow me on twitter @PratapPadode