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

Infrastructure Urban

04 May 2026

Jyoti Structures FY26 profit rises 56.5%

Jyoti Structures (JSL) recently reported strong financial results for the quarter and year ended 31 March 2026, driven by disciplined execution, cost management and steady progress across its order book.For Q4 FY2025-26, total income rose 44.2 per cent to Rs 2.41 billion from Rs 1.67 billion in Q4 FY2024-25. EBITDA increased 58.6 per cent to Rs 237 million, while EBITDA margin improved by 89 basis points to 9.84 per cent. Profit before tax grew 53.3 per cent to Rs 188.5 million, and net profit rose 51.9 per cent to Rs 181.4 million.For FY2025-26, total income grew 53.1 per cent to Rs 7.72 bill..

Cat BEPU to Power Doppstadt Separator at IFAT 2026

Caterpillar’s Cat Battery Electric Power Unit (BEPU) has been selected by Doppstadt to power its SWS 6 Spiral Shaft Separator, which will be showcased for the first time at IFAT 2026 in Munich, Germany, from 4–7 May.The compact plug-and-play BEPU is designed to replace a diesel engine within the same space, using the same mounting locations and relative machine position. It integrates the battery, motor, inverter, onboard charging, cooling and controls, enabling OEMs to electrify existing chassis platforms without extensive redesign.Caterpillar and Cat dealer Zeppelin Power Systems have be..

VECV sales rise 6.9% in April 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles, a joint venture between Volvo Group and Eicher Motors, recorded sales of 7,318 units in April 2026, compared to 6,846 units in April 2025, registering 6.9 per cent growth. The total included 7,159 units under the Eicher brand and 159 units under the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,159 units during the month, up 6.6 per cent from 6,717 units in April 2025. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 8.6 per cent to 6,797 units from 6,257 units a year earlier.Exports declined 21.3 per cent, with VECV recording 362 units in ..