Cement industry eyes demand revival amid looming capacity surplus

The lagged impact of fuel price increases of Rs 50-100 per ton during January-April'25 will be seen in H1FY26 given inventory, with higher exposure to petcoke usage impacted more

The cement industry continues to suffer from weak demand and surplus capacity although Q4FY25 indicated a marginal improvement. Demand grew in low single-digits year-on-year (Y-o-Y) from April to May 2025 owing to unseasonal rains in certain parts of the country.

 

Price hikes of ₹40 per bag in South India, in April 2025, were largely sustained before dropping by about ₹10-15 per bag this month.

 

East India also saw a hike of ₹10-12 per bag during April-May'25, while other regions were flat. Average India prices are higher by 3 per cent quarter-on-quarter (Q-o-Q) and 4-5 per cent Y-o-Y during Q1FY26 so