Cement players in expansion mode

In view of the surging fortunes in the cement sector largely due to huge demand from the country's construction and infrastructure, the Emami cement has targeted whopping revenue worth Rs. 3,000-cr from its cement making units. With huge investments in place, supported by its goal to emerge a national player by setting up plants in Rajasthan and Karnataka and is also keen to acquire more units to achieve its targeted goal in the segment, director, the Emami Group of Companies, Aditya V Agarwal said. Likewise, Burnpur Cement, which is on the lookout for a larger market share, is also planning to invest Rs 500-cr for expansion of its production capacity to 3 mtpa in its Asansol plant in West Bengal and another one in Patratu district in Jharkhand. Birla Corporation, too, has ambitious plans to make it big across the eastern and northern markets. With operations in Satna in Madhya Pradesh, Chanderia in Rajasthan, Durgapur in West Bengal and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, the company like its peers wants to gain market share in the eastern space. According to an analyst with Motilal Oswal, the government's infrastructural push will lead to higher uptake of cement. In the past three months, the shares of eastern cement companies have also shown an upward trend highlighting market confidence.