Italy: Federbeton, Italy’s cement association, has presented proposals to the government at a Senate hearing during the review of a bill that will enable the development of CO₂ capture, transport, utilisation and storage. The association welcomed the start of the review process for a measure that establishes, for the first time, a comprehensive regulatory framework to develop carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technology in Italy, which is seen as essential to the decarbonisation of the cement sector.

Developing a national CCUS supply chain is a prerequisite to decarbonise our sector," said Federbeton president Stefano Gallini. "The bill could mark a decisive step forward, provided the implementation framework ensures regulatory certainty, coordinated procedures and defined permitting timelines. Only then will it be possible to attract the massive investments required for the transition, while maintaining the competitiveness of a supply chain that is strategic for the country."

According to the latest decarbonisation strategy for the cement sector, the estimated total cost for the entire Italian cement industry's transition is in the region of €4.9 – 5.3bn by 2050. It is recommended that these investments be accompanied by the development of adequate infrastructure for CO₂ transport and storage, following the hub model already being developed in various European countries. In Italy, a hub project has been launched in Ravenna.

Federbeton has highlighted several key enabling factors for the development of the CCUS value chain in Italy. These include streamlining of certain permitting processes, including financial support mechanisms commensurate with the required investments, local community engagement, market development for captured CO₂ and the adaptation of the electricity grid to meet the plants' increased energy needs.

India: Italy-based Bedeschi and Chanderpur Group have signed a partnership agreement for the supply of bulk material handling equipment. The partners will offer apron and surface feeders, belt and pipe conveyor systems, crushers and sizers, ship loaders and unloaders, stacker reclaimers and wagon tipplers for use in various sectors, including the cement industry.

In a post to LinkedIn, Chanderpur Group acknowledged the combined advanced technology expertise, local manufacturing capacity and lifecycle support capabilities of the partners.

UK: The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has called on the government to favour ‘British-made’ materials, including cement, in procurement. The cement industry is currently excluded from the Energy Intensive Industries (EII) Compensation Scheme and may lose competitiveness against imports due inadequate policy responses to the incoming EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), according to the association. Energy costs are reportedly ‘sky high,’ while sustainability policies reportedly cost the sector an extra €95.9m in 2025, up by 82% decade-on-decade from 2015 levels.

British cement production reduced its CO₂ emissions by 63% between 1990 and 2025, and could achieve a further 75% reduction through the deployment of current carbon capture projects up to 2035, according to the MPA. UK cement imports from outside the EU reached a 10-year high in March 2026, following a diversion of former EU import streams to the UK in order to avoid CBAM charges.

India: A new report from market analyst ICRA forecasts cement volume growth of 6 – 7% in India’s 2027 financial year (FY2027), the 12-month period to 31 March 2027. This is less rapid growth than was seen in FY2026, when cement production volumes rose by 8.6% year-on-year on the back of higher demand from the housing and infrastructure sectors. ICRA said that in the first two months of FY2027, production volumes had increased by 8.3% year-on-year to approximately 85Mt.

Net sales prices rose by 7% in FY2026 and are likely to further increase by around 3 – 5% in FY2027. Input costs remained largely stable in FY2026, but fuel and freight costs, which are linked to global crude oil prices, have been trending upward and could further increase due to volatility depending on geopolitical developments in the Middle East, potentially exerting pressure on the sector's cost structure.

ICRA also reported that the country’s installed capacity rose by around 43 Mt/yr in FY2026, with a further add 30 – 34Mt/yr due to be commissioned in FY2027. Capacity utilisation is expected to remain at 70 – 71%, broadly in line with levels seen in FY2026.