Q1 cement despatches rise

Mumbai, July 21

Despite cement despatches of frontline companies improving in the first quarter of 2008-09, steep rise in input cost is expected to exert pressure on the bottomlines.

Except for ACC and UltraTech Cement, all the other major cement companies have reported an increase in despatches in the first quarter, with Shree Cement topping the table.

UltraTech despatches have dipped 5 per cent to 4.25 million tonnes (mt), while ACC fell by one per cent to 5.30 mt.

Shree Cement despatches jumped 27 per cent to 1.78 mt, Madras Cement 15 per cent to 1.57 mt, India Cements 7 per cent to 2.45 mt, while Ambuja Cement and Grasim Industries saw their despatches improve by 3 per cent each to 4.50 mt and 4.11 mt, respectively.

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