- Written by Larsen & Toubro
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) is a US$13.5bn Indian conglomerate with business interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing goods, information technology and financial services. It has its corporate office in Mumbai, India and predominantly serves the Indian, Middle Eastern, East Asian and South East Asian markets. L&T is one of the largest and most respected companies in India's private sector with 75 years of customer commitment.
Introduction
L&T was founded in Mumbai, India in 1938 by two Danish engineers, Henning Holck-Larsen and Soren Kristian Toubro. Both were strongly committed to developing India's engineering capabilities to meet the demands of its industries.
More than seven decades of a strong, customer-focused approach and the continuous quest for world-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in all its major lines of business. L&T has an international presence, with a global spread of offices. The company continues to grow its global footprint, with offices and manufacturing facilities in multiple countries.
L&T's businesses are supported by a wide marketing and distribution network and have established a reputation for strong customer support. L&T believes that progress must be achieved in harmony with the environment. A commitment to community welfare and environmental protection are also integral parts of its corporate vision.
- Written by Peter Edwards, Global Cement Magazine
The Republic of India occupies the bulk of the Indian subcontinent, the geographical region that is also home to Bangladesh and Pakistan in central southern Asia. The world's largest democracy1 and third largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity, India is the second most populous country after China, a position also held by its incredible cement industry...
Many diverse populations have been attracted to the fertile territories that constitute modern-day India over the millennia, combining to create a unique modern culture. Peoples arriving from parts of modern Afghanistan, Turkey and Arabia merged with native Hindu cultures and the country flourished as a trade cross-roads from around 400 onwards, with development of classical science, maths, art and wider culture.
- Written by Peter Edwards, Global Cement Magazine
Ethiopia is a large landlocked country in central east Africa. Synonymous with poverty since the mid-1980s famine that ravaged the country, Ethiopia has since experienced a step-change in economic performance, with an increase in cement production also seen. The country is becoming increasingly developed and has huge potential for high cement consumption.
- Written by Peter Edwards, Global Cement Magazine
A turbulent political history has stunted the growth of Iraq, a country with vast natural oil reserves. Now that the US-led occupation has given way to self-governance, the country has turned up the wick on its (re)-development. Recent speculation surrounding the possible doubling of its known oil reserves has put Iraq in a strong position to become an economic and political leader in the Middle East. The cement industry will have an important role to play in this development and is seeing major investment in production capacity.
- Written by Marie Lechtenberg, Global Cement Magazine
To coincide with the release of the Global Cement Directory 2013, Global Cement Magazine has taken a closer look at cement companies around the world, comparing capacities to analyse the development of the global cement market. Through this analysis we have determined the Top 20 global cement companies - and those close behind. We comment on their place in the cement industry in different world regions.
The global cement industry is a good indicator of the growth and progress of a country as cement consumption is closely linked to per-capita income. It implicates future changes in the development of a region or country and depends on several factors like demand, raw material reserves, market access and economic conditions.
The cement industry has changed significantly in recent years through trans-national consolidations and co-operations. Much of the potential is in emerging markets, especially China and India. Emerging markets represent approximately 90% of the worldwide market today while western Europe and North America account for most of the remainder. This has opened many markets to competition, consolidation and technical progress.
To determine a ranking for the top global cement companies, listed by their capacities in 2011, Global Cement Magazine considered the plethora of cement companies from around the world. You can see the results in Table 1. The top three companies all reached an annual capacity of over 200Mt in 2011.
