Cement majors see jump in January despatches

Cement despatches at the country's four largest cement makers "" The Associated Cement Companies (ACC), Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Gujarat Ambuja Cements and the Aditya Birla group company Grasim Industries "" have increased in January compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

ACC's despatches in January stood at 13.98 lakh tonne, an increase of 16.9 per cent, compared with 11.95 lakh tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year.

L&T's total despacthes, including exports, increased by 13.7 per cent to 11.6 lakh tonne in January, against 10.2 lakh tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Domestic despatches in the reporting month rose to 10.9 lakh tonne against 9.8 lakh tonne in the corresponding month of the previous year, a jump of 11.4 per cent.

L&T's combined despatch of cement and clinker was 13.5 lakh tonne, compared with 12.4 lakh tonne, a growth of 8.6 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year. The cement production increased by 18.7 per cent at 11.8 lakh tonne, against 9.9 lakh tonne in January 2003.

Meanwhile, Grasim's sales rose by 3.08 per cent to 11.19 lakh tonne, while production was at 11.24 lakh tonne, a rise of 3.61 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Gujarat Ambuja recorded an increase of six per cent in its monthly despatches of nine lakh tonne for January, compared with 8.47 lakh tonne in the corresponding month of the previous year.

The company produced 9.25 lakh tonne of cement in the month, against 8.54 lakh tonne in the corresponding period of the previous year, a rise of 8 per cent.