Pakistan cementing India’s infrastructure
Notwithstanding the bitterness between India and Pakistan, cement from the neighbouring country is increasingly strengthening Indian infrastructure, especially in Punjab and neighbouring states. According to data with All Pakistan Cement Manufacturer Association (APCMA), the export of cement from Pakistan to India grew from 4.19 lakh metric tonnes (MT) between July 2015 and January 2016 to 7.52 lakh MT in the July 2016-January 2017 period - a growth of nearly 79%.
According to importers, the Pakistani cement has gotten quite popular here and is being used in projects ranging from real estate to infrastructure. In fact, according to APCMA figures, the import of Pakistani cement in India grew rapidly after March 2016.
While it would be under 1 lakh MT a month earlier, the import figure crossed the six-digit mark after March 2016. At 1.38 lakg MT, it was the highest in July. Even as it came down to 89,112 MT in November 2015, was 87,260 MT in December 2015, and 86,114 MT in January 2016, it was still higher than same months of 2015 and 2016.
"The popularity of Pakistani cement has been increasing; it is being used in all sorts of projects including residential, commercial, and even public infrastructure projects," revealed Vikrant Arora of Amritsar-based Vikrant Traders, the biggest importer of Pakistani cement.
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