Indian Cement Review Conference 2013

01 May 2013 CW Staff

ASAPP Media created a platform for different stakeholders of the cement industry to come together under the aegis of the INDIAN CEMENT REVIEW umbrella.

Date: April 23, 2013 Venue: Hotel Orchid, Mumbai
Organiser: Asapp Media Information Group

Indian Cement Industry today accounts for about 7 per cent of the global production and is the second largest cement producer in the world. It has made rapid strides not only in terms of capacity addition but also in producing world-class quality cement from state-of-the-art technology.

The policy paralysis which has dragged down the GDP growth from over 8 to under 5 per cent has led to a crisis in confidence. Further inflation, input costs and high interest costs have compounded the weakness leading to a fall in demand.

According to India Ratings and Research, a part of global ratings agency Fitch, capacity utilisation at cement plants in India fell to 71 per cent in fiscal 2012-2013 from 89 per cent in 2009-2010, and is expected to be just 75 per cent in 2014-2015.

Sharing wisdom

In his welcome address, Pratap Vijay Padode, Editor-in-Chief & Managing Director, ASAPP Media Information Group however offered a positive outlook for the industry.

"I end with the quote that it is 'darkest before dawn.' The worst is over and just as you cannot see the crack of dawn just an hour before it appears and all appears bleak and dark, remember, the dawn awaits us."

Delivering the keynote address on the prospects and challenges of the Indian cement industry, NA Viswanathan, Secretary General, Cement Manufacturers' Association spoke of the problems faced by the cement industry.

The current economic slowdown has inevitably left a severe dent on the growth of the cement industry as well. The decline of cement industry from an average growth of around 8-9 per cent in the last couple of years to the present low of 5 per cent has shown no sign of improvement in capacity utilisation, which is still a major cause of concern. Though the Government of India has moved ahead with reforms needed to arrest the down-trend in the economy, what is required today is the timely execution of the policies with adequate funding.

The key players

The conference had experts from various knowledge domains to discuss and deliberate on various issues in the industry. Among the speakers were Srinivasan Raman, HeadûTechnical Services, Essar Oil; Naven Bhagawati, Managing Director, Bhagawati Associates; Ajay Hans, Managing Director, Petron Engineering; Ganesh Kamat, Technical Adviser, Ganaka Engineers & Architect; Anuj Maheshwari, Technical Headû RMC, UltraTech; Gautam Mukund Padukone, Design HeadûEPC, L&T Construction; Rajiv Mehta, Chairman, Committee on Railway Matters, CMA and Executive Vice President (Logistics), UltraTech and Capt Yogesh Kundra, Dy Executive DirectorûSupply Chain, Dalmia Cement.

The CEO round table which followed had KK Taparia, CEO & Adviser, Murali Cement; Mahesh Mudda, Executive Director & CEO, New Consolidated Construction Co and Jacques Van Niekerk, Head-Supply Chain, Ambuja Cement discussing how the cement industry, EPC players and the government could come together on a common platform to sort out fractious issues.

ASAPP Media created a platform for different stakeholders of the cement industry to come together under the aegis of the INDIAN CEMENT REVIEW umbrella. Date: April 23, 2013 Venue: Hotel Orchid, Mumbai Organiser: Asapp Media Information Group Indian Cement Industry today accounts for about 7 per cent of the global production and is the second largest cement producer in the world. It has made rapid strides not only in terms of capacity addition but also in producing world-class quality cement from state-of-the-art technology. The policy paralysis which has dragged down the GDP growth from over 8 to under 5 per cent has led to a crisis in confidence. Further inflation, input costs and high interest costs have compounded the weakness leading to a fall in demand. According to India Ratings and Research, a part of global ratings agency Fitch, capacity utilisation at cement plants in India fell to 71 per cent in fiscal 2012-2013 from 89 per cent in 2009-2010, and is expected to be just 75 per cent in 2014-2015. Sharing wisdom In his welcome address, Pratap Vijay Padode, Editor-in-Chief & Managing Director, ASAPP Media Information Group however offered a positive outlook for the industry. "I end with the quote that it is 'darkest before dawn.' The worst is over and just as you cannot see the crack of dawn just an hour before it appears and all appears bleak and dark, remember, the dawn awaits us." Delivering the keynote address on the prospects and challenges of the Indian cement industry, NA Viswanathan, Secretary General, Cement Manufacturers' Association spoke of the problems faced by the cement industry. The current economic slowdown has inevitably left a severe dent on the growth of the cement industry as well. The decline of cement industry from an average growth of around 8-9 per cent in the last couple of years to the present low of 5 per cent has shown no sign of improvement in capacity utilisation, which is still a major cause of concern. Though the Government of India has moved ahead with reforms needed to arrest the down-trend in the economy, what is required today is the timely execution of the policies with adequate funding. The key players The conference had experts from various knowledge domains to discuss and deliberate on various issues in the industry. Among the speakers were Srinivasan Raman, HeadûTechnical Services, Essar Oil; Naven Bhagawati, Managing Director, Bhagawati Associates; Ajay Hans, Managing Director, Petron Engineering; Ganesh Kamat, Technical Adviser, Ganaka Engineers & Architect; Anuj Maheshwari, Technical Headû RMC, UltraTech; Gautam Mukund Padukone, Design HeadûEPC, L&T Construction; Rajiv Mehta, Chairman, Committee on Railway Matters, CMA and Executive Vice President (Logistics), UltraTech and Capt Yogesh Kundra, Dy Executive DirectorûSupply Chain, Dalmia Cement. The CEO round table which followed had KK Taparia, CEO & Adviser, Murali Cement; Mahesh Mudda, Executive Director & CEO, New Consolidated Construction Co and Jacques Van Niekerk, Head-Supply Chain, Ambuja Cement discussing how the cement industry, EPC players and the government could come together on a common platform to sort out fractious issues.