India is the second-largest producer of cement in the world. It accounts for more than 8% of the global installed capacity. India has a lot of potential for development in the infrastructure and construction sector and the cement sector is expected to largely benefit from it.
Furthermore, on the back of rising rural housing demand, the consumption of cement in India has been growing consistently as it is one of the cheapest products to buy in terms of Rs./kg. Strong expansion of the industrial sector, which has fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic shock, is one of the main demand drivers for the cement industry. As a result, there is a strong potential for an increase in the long-term demand for the cement industry. Some of the recent initiatives, such as the development of 98 smart cities, are expected to significantly boost the sector.
Aided by suitable Government foreign policies, several foreign players such as Lafarge-Holcim, Heidelberg Cement, and Vicat have invested in the country in the recent past. A significant factor which aids the growth of this sector is the ready availability of raw materials for making cement, such as limestone and coal. Currently, the installed cement capacity in India is 553 MTPA with a production of 298 MTPA.
The cement demand in India is exhibiting a CAGR of 5.65% between 2016-22. As India has a high quantity and quality of limestone deposits throughout the country, the cement industry promises huge potential for growth. India has a total of 210 large cement plants, of which 77 are in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Nearly 32% of India’s cement production capacity is based in South India, 20% in North India, 13% in Central, 15% in West India, and the remaining 20% is based in East India. India’s cement production is expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.65% between FY16-22, driven by demands in roads, urban infrastructure and commercial real estate. India’s cement production was expected to range between 380-390 million tonnes in FY23, a growth rate of 8-9% year-on-year (yoy).
Between FY12 and FY23, the installed capacity grew by 61% to 570 MT from 353 in FY22. The Indian cement sector’s capacity is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4-5% over the four-year period up to the end of the FY27. It would thus begin the 2028 financial year at 715-725 MT/ year in installed capacity.
India’s cement production for FY24 is expected to grow by 7-8% driven by infrastructure-led investment and mass residential projects.
Source: ibef.org