Lafarge India has launched its premium cement brand, Lafarge Concreto, in Orissa recently.Lafarge is currently the cement market leader in eastern India with a market share of 20 per cent followed by Grasim and Ultratech with 17 per cent. Concreto is reportedly superior quality cement which helps in building better structures that last longer, a spokesman for Lafarge said. It is an all-purpose cement that can be used for varied applications like roofing, foundations, beams, columns, plastering and brickwork. It is also specially formulated to provide a denser concrete mix than normal cements. This contributes to greater strength development in hostile environment and soil conditions due to its improved ability to withstand acid and sulphate attacks.
 
Concreto was developed in Lafarge’s own laboratories which are extensively networked with its central research institute in France. The company has leveraged its combined know-how of 173 years and its experience across 75 countries to develop this unique product, claimed Uday Khanna, CEO of Lafarge India. Akhoury said Concreto would be available at all dealer outlets in the state.
 
Cement accounts for about 15 per cent of the total construction cost of a typical house. Though Concreto was priced higher than the normal Lafarge cement, its superior quality and increased durability would more than compensate the increase in cement cost, he said. Concreto was likely to cost Rs 5 more than other variants, Lafarge vice-president Alokesh Banerjee said.
 
Lafarge reported annual production of 5Mt, with its cement selling well in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states. Lafarge’s first priority was to maintain its lead status in the eastern India market but it looking forward to setting foot in Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. Concreto would be supplied from Lafarge’s Raipur and Bilaspur manufacturing plants to Orissa.