Mumbai: Marching towards the targeted 10-per cent growth mark for the year 2002-03, the Indian cement sector has recorded a production mark of 8.82 million tonnes as of November 2002, compared to 8.34 million tonnes the same period last year.

Despite the rise in prices over the last two months, the cement production for the month of November 2002 increased 5.76 per cent to 71.99 million tonnes (cumulative figure) against 66.16 million tonnes (cumulative figure, again) the same month last year. Concretisations of the roads in the top metropolitan cities of the country led to the increase in the production as well as the dispatches last month.

On the other hand, the dispatches for the current fiscal year (2002-03) stood at 71.85 million tonnes as against 66.12 million tonnes (both cumulative figures) for 2001-02, showing an 8.67-per cent increase. These industry figures clearly indicate an upward trend in growth for cement.

According to the experts in the industry, the maximum utilisation of the commodity is trusted on large infrastructure and road projects besides the current boom in the housing sector. In terms of exports, India has exported 0.61 million tonnes in the current fiscal year compared to the last fiscal year’s export of 0.42 million tonnes — comparatively a growth of 0.19 per cent.