Coal news and updates

India’s cement production up 5.61% in 2014-15

May 18: The cement industry continued to suffer on account of sluggish demand for the material. During March 2015, the industry registered a negative growth of 4.18% on m-o-m basis (highest negative growth during the year).

Production of the material was at 23.84 million tons (mt) as compared to 24.88 mt in March 2014, according to a compilation by ICMW.

During the year 2014-15, the industry output touched 270.18 mt, thereby registering a growth of 5.61% over 255.83 mt produced in 2013-14.

As the analysis revealed, despite a double-digit growth during the months of June, July and August 2014, the industry was not able to maintain the pace of growth due to lack of demand, specially from September 14 onwards as the growth during September 14-March 15 hovered between -4.18% and 3.77% (on a m-o-m basis) except in the month of November 2014 (when the growth was at 11.34%).

Even on analysing the quarter-wise growth of the industry, it is seen that the industry showed a negative growth of 0.48% in the last quarter of the year (January-March) after registering a good pace of growth of 9.53% and 9.79% during the first and second quarters respectively.

The following table shows India’s month-wise cement production in 2012-13 (revised), 2013-14 and 2014-15: