How did you successfully manage your business in the COVID times? 

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has brought along lot of interruptions and uncertainties to life and businesses. Every industrial sector witnessed the need to change their operational pattern. One of the sectors that witnessed a dramatic transformation was the building materials industry. However, as adapting to change is not a new phenomenon for the building material industry, it sprung back fast. 

How do you view the recovery in the RMC market so far? 

RMC market has always been a volatile and demanding one as it is directly connected with infrastructural development of the region and government policies. Both demand and supply were equally impacted, and the industry awaited instructions from the government. The overall demand is fluctuating owing to the lockdown, however construction activities are resuming gradually. In current situation when private construction projects have regained at full swing, several government projects are still awaiting nod for resumption from concerned department.

What are the key challenges in the market apart from the pandemic impact? 

The very first factor which affects the demand is rainfall/monsoon. Though it was a regular contributor for this industry which usually demands periodically, it affected the situation more as the industry was recovering from ill effects of the pandemic. Secondly, increasing cost of raw materials was impacting the demand for RMC. The industry already bears with intermittent fluctuation in cement prices, which affects the demand regularly. Transportation cost is another important factor which affects the RMC costs.

What kind of policy support is required for the market revival? 

The building material industry is the second largest employer in the country after agriculture, providing significant contribution to the nation’s economy. One of the key drivers that have been enabling the growth of the building material industry is the infrastructural development of the country. The government during its budget 2020-21 had proposed infrastructural pipeline of `105 lakh crores for the next five years, and fast-tracking the projects will boost the demand for raw materials, thus, assisting the growth of building materials industry. 

What are your strategies for business revival? 

Our vision to be one of the industry leaders in building material segment enables us to stand and serve our customer, no matter how hard the situation is. We believe in inspiring without compromising and always deliver on stated promises. We are investing in expanding and refining our production and service capabilities in order to cater to ever evolving needs of our customers. We are also trying to introduce technology into our operations to make it more efficient. Further, we are continuously working on cost reduction strategies which should help us in the long run.