India’s cement industry, which exported over 10Mt of cement and clinker last year, might witness a surge in demand with neighbouring Pakistan expected to allow import of the commodity from here in the near future.
"There is a talk of it and once that opens up, export will become a major issue," Commerce Ministry’s Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion Secretary Ajay Dua said at the annual session of the Cement Manufacturers’ Association.
While asking them to brace themselves for a sudden rise in demand, he wanted the industry to create bulk handling facilities for export purposes on the lines of those set up by the oil sector. He felt that cement plants in north Indian states like Himachal Pradesh and Punjab would be "well-placed" to meet the export demand from Pakistan .
