Cement Industry

Volume gains offset pricing pain for cement companies in Q3 FY26

Analysts at Centrum Research estimated aggregate industry volumes rose about 13 per cent Y-o-Y and 12 per cent sequentially, aided by a rebound in non-trade demand

Muted volumes, realisation miss weigh on Shree Cement in Q3 FY26

Muted volumes and a miss on realisations weighed on Shree Cement's operating performance in Q3 FY26, even as lower depreciation helped lift net profit year-on-year

Cement majors post double-digit volume growth in Q3, eye price recovery

Leading cement makers reported strong double-digit year-on-year growth in sales volumes during the December 2025 quarter, even as their realisations came under pressure. The companies remain optimistic of further improvement in demand and prices in the coming months, aided by benign inflation, supportive tax rationalisation measures and healthy infrastructure-led growth. Industry leaders, including UltraTech, Ambuja Cements, Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat, JK Lakshmi Cement and JSW Cement, saw higher capacity utilisation and expansion in volumes. However, overall profitability was impacted by rising input costs, provisions under new labour codes and elevated prices of pet coke and coal. Despite these challenges, toplines were supported by premiumisation, improved product mix and higher non-trade sales. Apart from grey cement, companies also reported robust growth in their Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) business, which registered high double-digit expansion. Leading cement maker UltraTech .

Budget 2026-27 boost, price hikes to support India's cement sector

The Budget allocation is up about 9 per cent in nominal terms and, given grant-in-aid, it would push effective capex for FY27 to Rs 17.1 trillion

HDFC Securities maintains 'Add' on Birla Corp; flags near-term volume dip

HDFC Securities has lowered its Ebitda estimates for Birla Corp for FY26-28E by 6 per cent, 9 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, to account for near-term pricing pressure in Q3FY26

JM Fin expects cement price recovery from April 2026; UltraTech top pick

Industry demand likely grew in low double digits year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in December 2025, reflecting broad-based improvements across regions

Indian cement firms most exposed to CBAM risk: World Economic Forum

The study, which examines corporate readiness in Brazil, China, India and South Africa for CBAM, finds no evidence so far of broad competitiveness losses for exporters from these economies

Near-term margins for cement companies to remain under pressure

Weak Q3 pricing persists despite Y-o-Y profit gains, as aggressive capacity expansion overshadows near-term demand

Cement makers upbeat on Q2 sales, expect second half of FY26 to be better

Leading cement companies, buoyed by a high single-digit volume growth in the July-September quarter along with an increased sales realisation, expect a better performance in the second half of the current fiscal, betting big on the housing sector and the government's spending on key infra projects. Top five cement makers such as UltraTech, Ambuja Cement, Shree Cement, Dalmia Bharat and Nuvoco Vistas have reported up to 18 per cent growth in their revenue from operations in the second quarter ended September, backed by healthy sales realisations, benign costs and premiumisation. As prices of coal have declined and that of diesel stable on a year-to-year basis, even though the rate of petcoke increased, cement companies in their latest earnings calls said they expect a better performance in the second half (H2) of FY26, to be led by the individual home builders (IHB) segment in rural and urban areas, helped by factors such as a good monsoon and recent tax incentives and GST reforms by

Top cement companies post strong Q2 on better realisations, volumes

Low base, premium mix and new capacity supported gains

Rlys launches policy for bulk terminals to increase cement freight volumes

Streamlines freight rates for cement

Cement makers to invest ₹1.2 trillion over three years: Crisil Ratings

Capex during FY26-FY28 to be 50% higher than the previous three years; industry to add up to 170 MT of capacity amid strong demand, says Crisil Ratings

UltraTech Cement gears up for expansion plans and market share gains

UltraTech Cement's profit and margin rose sharply in Q2FY26 as demand, cost controls, and GST 2.0 reforms supported growth; firm eyes 235 mtpa capacity by FY29

UltraTech Cement Q2 profit jumps 75%; unveils ₹10,255-cr expansion plan

Revenue from operations rose 20.3 per cent YoY to ₹19,606.93 crore. Grey cement volumes grew 7.1 per cent YoY, while realisations improved 4.5 per cent

Cement maker ACC equity value sees sharp fall after Adani acquisition

ACC and Ambuja Cements were acquired by Adani group in September 2022 from LafargeHolcim Group.

Top Indian cement firms to post strong Q2 FY26 earnings amid higher volumes

Y-o-Y Ebitda per tonne rises sharply on better pricing and volume growth, while seasonal monsoon and GST cut temper quarterly gains across major cement firms

Cement prices to remain weak in coming qtrs despite demand: Elara Capital

Elara Capital cautions that the near-term pricing environment remains weak, with operating leverage and higher costs likely to weigh on profitability in Q2FY26 and potentially spill over into Q3FY26.

Cement sector operating profit to rise 12-18% in FY26, says Icra

Icra expects cement companies' FY26 operating profit to reach Rs 900-950 per tonne, with healthy demand, better realisations and GST cuts driving growth despite global crude risks

New GST rates: Tax relief for India's cement industry comes at a cost

GST rate cut on cement from 28% to 18% is expected to benefit cement companies in the medium term, though margins may face pressure in the near term as benefits are passed on to consumers

GST rate cut on cement to boost infrastructure and improve viability

Experts predict that the GST cut on cement from 28% to 18% will boost infrastructure project viability, encourage PPP participation, and enhance the sector's competitiveness