India: The Indian government has published a list of 36 companies committed to supplying 9.5Mt of cement in 2015 for road building. The cement will be sold at a price below market rates with a fixed upper limit of US$2.70/bag. The Ministry has decided to build concrete cement roads in place of traditional bitumen roads as it views them as cost-effective and requiring less maintenance.
"After taking consent of the manufacturers we have put the list on a dedicated website, which any company or government agency can access to book their orders. Since the factories are spread all over the country, they can make the best choice. As per the contract, manufacturers can only reduce the price and increase their commitment to supply more cement," said road transport minister Nitin Gadkari. "Once the reduced price is out, it will have effect on other manufacturers and prices across companies may fall," he added.
