Pakistan: The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD) has asked the government to appoint a commission to investigate rises in cement prices. The Pakistan Observer newspaper has reported that ABAD chair Fayyaz Ilyas alleged that producers had colluded as a cartel. He said that price rises have prevented the construction sector from being able to realise the aims of the Naya Pakistan housing scheme.

Nepal: Huaxin Cement Narayani has completed construction of its 3000t/day Dhading cement plant in Bagmati and plans to commence production before November 2021. The Xinhua News Agency has reported that construction of plant, a joint venture of Vaidya’s Organisation of Industries and Trading Houses and China-based Huaxin Cement subsidiary Huaxin Central Asia Investment (Wuhan), started in early 2019 but was delayed by floods, disputes over land acquisition and the coronavirus pandemic. It is Nepal’s second cement plant backed by Chinese investors following the opening of Hongshi-Shivam Cement in 2018. In 2020, the country produced 7.49Mt of cement, towards serving a demand of 9.05Mt/yr nationally.

Spain: Cementos Molins has agreed to acquire Hanson Hispania’s assets in Catalonia. The Expansión newspaper has reported that the business consists of two concrete plants and multiple quarries. It generated sales of Euro18m in 2020 and employs 41 people.

Chief executive officer Julio Rodríguez said "This operation will allow Cementos Molins to reinforce its presence in Spain and strengthen its leadership in sustainable concrete solutions in Catalonia." He added "The strategic location of the plants and quarries, close to the Barcelona metropolitan area, responds to our commitment to offer more efficient and sustainable solutions for homes and infrastructures."

India: Dalmia Cement has signed three memoranda of understanding with the state government of Jharkhand. The memoranda provide that the Dalmia Bharat subsidiary will invest US$104m in expanding its cement operations in the state. The producer’s plans consist of a US$68.5m upgrade and capacity expansion to its Bokaro cement grinding plant. The project will increase the existing production line’s capacity to 3.7Mt/yr and add a new grinding line, bringing the total plant’s capacity to 6.3Mt/yr. In addition the cement producer will spend US$34m towards building a solar power plant and the remainder will be spent on setting up a waste management facility.