West Bengal invites cement producers to invest

Shashi Panja, Commerce and Industry Minister of West Bengal, India, has openly invited cement companies to invest in the state. Speaking at an interactive session on cement organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce on 14 December 2022, Ms Panja said that growing cement demand in the east of the country and the abundant availability of coal make the state a suitable destination for cement manufacturers.

With many cement producers facing rising coal prices and shortages in supply, the West Bengal government is actively developing the Deocha Pachami coal block in Birbhum district.

According to Business Standard, at least two cement companies have already expressed an interest in investing in West Bengal in the coming years, including Purbanchal Cement Ltd and Mangalam Cement Ltd.

“We have been allotted a raw material block in Chhattisgarh and once the integrated project is developed, the company will strongly consider having a grinding unit in Bengal,'' said Mangalam Cement President & CFO, Yashwant Mishra. Meanwhile, Purbanchal Cement is looking to expand into the Bengal market over the next few years.

Shree Cement also announced in July 2021 that construction had begun on a new US$80.5m, 3Mta grinding plant in West Bengal.