Cement Industry Of India PDF Download

Cement Is The Key To Construction Activity Which Generates One Of The Highest Employments Per Unit Of Investment. In India, Cement Production Has Grown From 2.2 M.T. In 1950-51 To 53.6 M.T. In 1991-92, And Country Now Occupies The Fifth Position In The World Both As Regards Cement Production And Consumption.The Growth Of The Cement Industry Was Very Slow Till 1981 Due To Rigid Price And Distribution Controls In Operation Since Independence. Though Retention Prices, On Paper, Provided For Fixed And Variable Costs Plus A Reasonable Return On Capital, In Practice, The Targeted Profits Were Seldom Realized And There Were Even Losses Due To Underutilizations, Inefficiencies And Uncompensated Cost Escalations. It Is Only After Partial Decontrol In 1982 That The Industry S Production And Profitability Got A Boost. Cement Supply Overtook The Demand During 1988-89. No Wonder, The Government Found It Appropriate To Decontrol Cement Prices W.E.F. March 1, 1989, Though An Informal Governmental Influence On Prices And Distribution Still Prevails. The Period Of 1990-91 And The First Half Of 1991-92 Had Been, By Far, The Best For The Cement Industry In Terms Of Production And Profitability. Profits During This Period Marked A Disproportionate Increase Attracting Mrtp Enquiry Against Carteling And Creation Of Artificial Shortages. In Addition, A Squeeze, In Governmental Purchases, Which Account For One-Third To Two-Fifth Of The Total Cement Demand, Is Exercising A Dampening Influence On Prices And Profits Since Mid 1991-92, Though The Long Term Prospects Are Encouraging Due To Expanding Domestic And Foreign Demand. However, This Requires That The Profitability Of The Industry Must Be Based On Higher Capacity Utilisation, Cost Economics In Energy Use Through Technological Upgradation, Efficiency In Packaging And Handling, And Improvement In Infrastructural Support Rather Than Profiteering. These Issues Relating To The Cement Industry Have Been Discussed And Analysed In The Book With The Help Of More Than A Hundred Statistical Tables And 22 Appendices.