Covid-19 impact: With retail shut, cement and stocks pile up at factories

Starting construction may have no impact on demand if the loha and cement mandis don't open

A cement dealer in the National Capital Region (NCR) says his shop is shut. He neither has any cement stock nor any fresh orders. Despite the Union government allowing construction activity to begin, inventories at steel and cement factories pile up since the retail end of dealerships, mandis and warehouses are shut.

“Our silos are almost full with cement,” said an executive from a cement company. This is even as an executive from a road developing company complained, “Cement and other supplies for projects are badly affected."

The government had allowed limited manufacturing activity in safe zones from Monday. Many of these