Indian cement production recorded 8.54 per cent growth to 10.93Mt in December 2004 over 10.07Mt registered in the same month of the previous year.  Despatches increased 8.84 per cent to 10.84Mt in December 2004 from 9.96Mt in the same month last year, said latest industry updates.  Output rose 7.17 per cent to 91.8Mt in April-December 2004 as against 85.66Mt in the same period of 2003.  Despatches were up 6.98 per cent to 91.35Mt from 85.39Mt during the nine-month review period. Cement export grew 13.33 per cent to 0.34Mt in December 2004 from 0.3Mt in the same month of 2003. Interestingly, clinker export recorded a 19.51 per cent growth to 0.49Mt from 0.41Mt during the review period.  The industry’s capacity stood at 151.69Mt at the end of last year with 82 per cent utilisation during April- December 2004, said the updates of cement manufacturers association.

At the end of December 2004, industry’s closing stocks stood at 1.19 mt.  Pozzolan portland cement consitituted 48 per cent of the total production, followed by OPC variety at 43 per cent during April-Novemeber 2004. Rail deliveries comprised 33 per cent of the total despatches during April-November 2004. Southern states Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka recorded a negative consumption growth in April-November 2004.