Indian producers struggle with flat market growth

Indian cement companies are experiencing challenging market conditions as subdued demand during the peak season is preventing producers from raising prices.

Speaking to local press, M Ravinder Reddy, head of marketing for Vicat Group in India and director of marketing at Bharathi cement, said: “The primary reason, I’m told, is that the government has stopped payments to control fiscal deficit, as a result of which infra projects have taken a beating. The retail end also hasn’t grown due to drop in consumption. The year-on-year sales for the industry decline for March could be 4-5 per cent,” he said.

While firms have hiked prices in February, prices could not be raised further in March and the nationwide average has been flat month-on-month.