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India Cements MD N Srinivasan Expects 2020 To Be Better For The Industry

India Cements MD N Srinivasan says housing will be the major driver of cement demand, resulting in an uptick in cement prices.

A worker transports cement in a wheelbarrow along a road in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India. (Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)
A worker transports cement in a wheelbarrow along a road in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India. (Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg)

India Cements Ltd. expects 2020 to be a better year for the cement industry on the back of revival in demand.

“It’s a fact that (demand for) cement is picking up,” N Srinivasan, vice chairman and managing director at the cement maker, told BloombergQuint in an interview. “Although the second and third quarters were dull, utilisation levels will go up in the fourth quarter.”

Housing is leading the race to push up cement demand in most of the regions, Srinivasan said, adding that the infrastructure segment in Maharashtra is “strong”.

As demand improves, cement prices in South India will also witness an uptick, he said. “The prices will stay and possibly even increase a little more.”

Also Read: Here’s Why Cement Prices Fell To Nearly A Year Low In South, West India

WATCH | India Cements’ N Srinivasan on cement sector dynamics in 2020