India adds 7Mta as expansion plans continue

India’s cement producers have added around 7Mta of cement production capacity in the last few weeks alone as their expansion plans continue.

According to Argus Media, UltraTech Cement has added 2.2Mta at its Bihar unit, raising its total cement production capacity to 129.15Mta as part of plans to reach 200Mta by 2030. Dalmia Bharat Cement plans to add 12Mta by 2024 with the ultimate aim of reaching 110-130Mta by 2031. The company recently added 2.5Mta, taking its total capacity to 41.1Mta. Meanwhile, JK Cement increased its capacity by 2Mta in late March to 20.67Mta, while Shree Cement expanded its Jharkhand unit by 0.5Mta taking its total capacity to 46.9Mta.

Recent capital expenditure announcements by the Indian government have raised expectations of strong cement demand growth, prompting a spate of capacity expansion projects by the country’s cement producers. India also has an annual per capita consumption of 240-250kg, compared to a global average of 500-550kg.