Eyeing the inevitable construction boom in India, cement companies in Pakistan are readying for huge exports to the neighbouring nation now.
According to cement manufacturers' association in Karachi, a team of Bureau of Indian Standards is set to visit Pakistan to conduct quality control tests at companies wishing to export the construction commodity to India. This is a mandatory requirement set by the Indian government for import of cement to the nation.
Lucky Cement Ltd, Pakistan's biggest maker of the material, is all set to export 200,000 metric tonnes of cement to India within a year's time.
India plans to invest $320 billion on roads, ports, dams and power stations by 2012. Cement makers are investing Rs 450 billion on adding almost 100 million tonnes of capacity.
Exports to the Middle East and Afghanistan account for most of Pakistan's cement sales overseas but exports to India are likely to overtake soon. Pakistan's cement exports doubled in the 10 months ended April 30, because of higher demand from Afghanistan, India and the Middle East.
Pakistan sold 2.45 million metric tonnes of cement overseas in the July-to-April period, compared with 1.21 million metric tonnes a year earlier.
