The rising demand for cement in the southern and northern regions of India helped the industry post a double-digit growth in consumption during the first five months of the current year.
While overall cement consumption grew 13.59 per cent in April-August 2002, it rose 23.51 per cent in the south and 16.38 per cent in the north. Cement demand in the eastern region rose 10.06 per cent while, in the central region, it climbed up by 11.14 per cent. The western region recorded a modest growth of 3.28 per cent. The southern region saw setback in demand in August