SICMA to make cement available at a reasonable price

22 Jun 2021 CW Team

South Indian Cement Manufacturers’ Association (SICMA) has announced that based on the request made by the Ministry of Industries, it has ensured the public that during the pandemic, the company will make sure that cement is available at a reasonable price.

Currently, the domestic cement industry is undergoing difficult times due to the second Covid-19 wave, working only at 30-40% capacity utilisation.

The second wave of Covid-19 has severely affected the domestic cement generation. All India production decreased 35% month-on-month in April 2021 and was below 4% compared to April 2019.

The cement firms have undertaken price hikes by an average of 5% in April 2021. This hike is driven due to the rise in the input costs, primarily power and fuel costs and freight expenses over the last few months.

However, the price of the cement is expected to sustain in the near term, higher input costs because of the increase in crude oil prices and under-absorption of overheads likely to result in a reduction of EBITDA/tonne to around Rs 1,200 per tonne in Q1FY22, lower by 20% year-on-year and 6-7% quarter-on-quarter basis.

The 25-member body SICMA also said it is working with the Tamil Nadu government to make cement available at a reasonable price to the weaker parts of the society.

Image Source

Also read: Construction, real estate industry protests against surging cement price

Also read: Cement offtake dropped 25% in April-June: ICRA

Real Estate

04 Sep 2025

Mumbai Records 11,230 Property Deals in August 2025

Mumbai’s property market remained resilient in August 2025, with 11,230 property registrations recorded under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) jurisdiction, according to data released by Knight Frank India. While this marks a 3 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline compared to 11,631 registrations in August 2024, activity stayed robust despite the marginal dip.On a month-on-month (MoM) basis, registrations fell 11 per cent from 12,579 deals in July 2025, indicating seasonal moderation. However, the city’s stamp duty collections still reached Rs 10 billion, reflecting a 6 per cent..

68 Jammu-Katra Trains Cancelled Amid Rain Damage

Jammu and Katra railway services remain severely affected as Northern Railway announced the cancellation of 68 trains—both incoming and outgoing—until 30 September, due to extensive track damage caused by heavy rains and flash floods. Meanwhile, 24 trains are scheduled to resume operations gradually.The Jammu railway division has experienced a complete halt in services for the past eight days, following track misalignment and breaches at several points along the Pathankot–Jammu section. Torrential rainfall since 26 August led to widespread flooding and damage, stranding hundreds of passe..

Bangalore Metro MD Reviews Reach 6 and Phase 2A Progress

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) Managing Director, Dr J Ravishankar, IAS, conducted inspections of key metro corridors on 29 and 30 August, reviewing the progress of Reach 6 (Pink Line) and Phase 2A (Blue Line).On 30 August, the inspection covered Reach 6, a 21.39-km corridor stretching from Kalena Agrahara to Nagawara, with 18 stations. This stretch is part of Phase 2 of the Bangalore Metro project. Dr Ravishankar assessed the status of civil works, finishing, track laying, and system integration between Kalena Agrahara and MG Road.Earlier, on 29 August, the MD inspected Phas..