K Ravi, MD of NCL Industries expects that there will be no cement price increase in the near future.

“The steel prices are going up and the construction, building materials industry, and the builders are slowing it down because of the steel prices. So, there is pressure. Prices are slightly sluggish, in fact down by Rs 4-5. Also, the festival season is coming up and normally during Sankranti workers don’t work. Particularly, in Andhra Pradesh, sand is not available. I don’t think there will be time to increase prices, but if we can retain the prices I think that is good enough,” Ravi said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

On volumes, he said that NCL Industries will be able to do volumes of 2.3 million tonnes this year.

“We will be able to surpass the 2.2 million tonne. It can go close to 2.3 million tonnes. In trade and non-trade, trade is going up. Earlier it used to be 50-50, but now the trade is about 70 percent and non-trade is about 30 percent,” he said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

Meanwhile, Ravi refused to comment on whether NCL Industries was interested in Andhra Cement.

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(Edited by : Anshul)