Indian government sets up new cement council

The Indian government has set up a 25-member development council for the cement industry, which will suggest ways to eliminate waste, obtain maximum production, improve quality, reduce costs and promote the standardisation of products, according to a press release.

Other functions of the council include recommending measures for securing the full utilisation of installed capacity, particularly of less efficient units, as well as promoting training, and promoting or undertaking scientific and industrial research.

"The central government hereby establishes a Development Council for the Cement Industry (DCCI) and appoints the persons...to be the members of the said council, for a period of two years," according to the order of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.

The members include Dalmia Bharat’s CMD, Puneet Dalmia, and UltraTech Cement’s MD, K C Jhanwar, with Dalmia as the chairman of the council. Other members include Shree Cement’s MD, HM Bangur; The India Cements’ Executive President, Rakesh Singh; Birla Corp’s CEO, Pracheta Majumdar; JK Cement’s Deputy Managing Director, Madhavkrishna Singhania, and JSW Cement’s CEO, Nilesh Narwekar.