Cement prices harden in South and West of India

Cement prices have risen in the Southern and the Western regions as the South-West monsoon season approaches. Retail prices have gone up by six per cent or Rs5-10 per bag in Andhra Pradesh and by about three per cent in Maharashtra in the past month.

With this latest hike, cement prices in Andhra Pradesh is now at Rs140-145 per bag while in Tamil Nadu and Kerala it is higher at about Rs160 a bag. Within Maharashtra, the price per bag is at Rs140-145 in Nagpur and Pune.

According to industry analysts, cement prices tend to increase between April-June every year due to the pick-up in construction activity just ahead of the monsoon.