Market & Forensics Analyst, Beat the Street

Nimish Maheshwari

Market & Forensics Analyst

Beat the Street

Beat The Street was founded by Nimish Maheshwari and Sudarshan Bhandari, both of whom are Chartered Accountants by Profession, known for their expert analysis in the fields of Business, Sectoral analysis, and Corporate governance.

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Their analysis on Bankrupt & Insolvent companies has been instrumental in saving investors from significant losses. They have a keen eye for identifying red flags and has identified exclusive redflags earlier in Vedanta, Nykaa, Dhani Services, Adani and many more.

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Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>The Indian cement sector faces severe margin compression from a INR 400 per tonne geopolitical cost shock, despite reporting robust Q4 volume growth. </li>
<li>Coordinated price hikes of INR 10 to INR 12 per bag will only partially offset the massive margin squeeze, as pricing trails cost inflation. </li>
<li>Primary downside risks include further geopolitical escalation driving fuel prices higher, an inability to sustain recent price hikes, and weakening demand post elections.</li>
</ul>


The Indian cement sector faces severe margin compression from a INR 400 per tonne geopolitical cost shock, despite reporting robust Q4 volume growth. 
Coordinated price hikes of INR 10 to INR 12 per bag will only partially offset the massive margin squeeze, as pricing trails cost inflation. 
Primary downside risks include further geopolitical escalation driving fuel prices higher, an inability to sustain recent price hikes, and weakening demand post elections.


Indian Cement Industry: Can Price Hikes Offset the Geopolitical Shock?

Index Rebal/Special Situations, Quiddity Advisors

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Index Rebal/Special Situations

Quiddity Advisors

Pan-Asia Catalysts/Events

Index Rebalance

<ul>
<li>NIFTY 50 represents the 50 largest stocks listed in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India and the NIFTY Next 50 index tracks the next 50 largest names.</li>
<li>Here we have presented our expectations for these indices for the upcoming index rebal event in March 2027.</li>
<li>We see two changes for NIFTY 50 and five changes for NIFTY 100.</li>
</ul>


NIFTY 50 represents the 50 largest stocks listed in the National Stock Exchange (NSE) of India and the NIFTY Next 50 index tracks the next 50 largest names.
Here we have presented our expectations for these indices for the upcoming index rebal event in March 2027.
We see two changes for NIFTY 50 and five changes for NIFTY 100.


Quiddity Leaderboard NIFTY Mar27: Some High-Impact ADDs/DELs; ~US$1.3bn Combined One-Way Flow

<ul>
<li>Pan-India average cement prices have surged by 8% year-on-year to approximately Rs 360 per 50-kg bag, driven by escalating fuel and raw material costs, notably imported petcoke and gypsum.</li>
<li>The price surge indicates a shift in the balance of power within the highly consolidated Indian cement sector.</li>
<li>With input costs rising, companies are demonstrating newfound pricing power, a critical factor for protecting and expanding operating margins in an energy-intensive business.</li>
</ul>


Pan-India average cement prices have surged by 8% year-on-year to approximately Rs 360 per 50-kg bag, driven by escalating fuel and raw material costs, notably imported petcoke and gypsum.
The price surge indicates a shift in the balance of power within the highly consolidated Indian cement sector.
With input costs rising, companies are demonstrating newfound pricing power, a critical factor for protecting and expanding operating margins in an energy-intensive business.


Indian Cement: Cost Headwinds Meet Robust Demand, Forging Pricing Power

<ul>
<li>The Indian cement industry saw strong demand in Q4 FY25, with industry volume growth of 4% YoY and leading players reporting double-digit sales growth.</li>
<li>Demand in April 2025 was weak across most regions due to severe heatwaves and labor shortages, slowing construction activity significantly.</li>
<li>Cement demand is expected to grow at 7–8% in FY26, driven by infrastructure projects and housing, with major players expanding capacity.</li>
</ul>


The Indian cement industry saw strong demand in Q4 FY25, with industry volume growth of 4% YoY and leading players reporting double-digit sales growth.
Demand in April 2025 was weak across most regions due to severe heatwaves and labor shortages, slowing construction activity significantly.
Cement demand is expected to grow at 7–8% in FY26, driven by infrastructure projects and housing, with major players expanding capacity.


<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ultratech-cement-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:181:1" rel="noopener">Ultratech Cement (UTCEM IN)</a> saw a resurgence in demand starting in December. CFO Atul Daga characterized this as a "positive storm," fueled by continuous demand increases that boosted cement prices.  </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/ambuja-cements-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:14745:1" rel="noopener">Ambuja Cements (ACEM IN)</a> is strategically expanding capacity, aiming for cost leadership, and leveraging group synergies to reach 140 million tons of cement capacity by FY28.  </li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.smartkarma.com/entities/jk-cement-ltd" target="_blank" data-smartkarma-citation="entities:9744:1" rel="noopener">JK Cement Ltd (JKCE IN)</a>’s proposed acquisition of 60% equity in Saifco Cements marks their penetration in Jammu-Kashmir(capacity- 0.42 Mn tons), which is expected to improve profitability, increase production capacity.</li>
</ul>



Ultratech Cement (UTCEM IN) saw a resurgence in demand starting in December. CFO Atul Daga characterized this as a "positive storm," fueled by continuous demand increases that boosted cement prices.  

Ambuja Cements (ACEM IN) is strategically expanding capacity, aiming for cost leadership, and leveraging group synergies to reach 140 million tons of cement capacity by FY28.  

JK Cement Ltd (JKCE IN)’s proposed acquisition of 60% equity in Saifco Cements marks their penetration in Jammu-Kashmir(capacity- 0.42 Mn tons), which is expected to improve profitability, increase production capacity.


Themes of India: Cement Industry Q3 Update

India

Ambuja Cements Limited is an Indian cement producing company that manufactures and markets cement, clinker, and related products for domestic and export markets. Its product portfolio includes ordinary portland cement, portland pozzolana cement, and ready-mix concrete. The company is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, and was founded in 1983.

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Ambuja Cements (ACEM IN)

Indian Cement Industry: Can Price Hikes Offset the Geopolitical Shock?

Indian cement sector experiences severe margin compression due to INR 400 per tonne cost shock, despite strong Q4 volume growth.

Nimish Maheshwari

Quiddity Leaderboard NIFTY Mar27: Some High-Impact ADDs/DELs; ~US$1.3bn Combined One-Way Flow

We expect US$824mn and US$493mn one-way flows for NIFTY 50 and NIFTY Next 50 respectively. The NIFTY 50 expected ADDs/DELs have >8x ADV to trade.

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Indian Cement: Cost Headwinds Meet Robust Demand, Forging Pricing Power

Pan-India cement prices rise 8% due to increased costs, signaling a shift in industry dynamics and companies' pricing power to protect margins.

Nimish Maheshwari

Cement Wars: Ultratech Vs Adani Cements

Indian cement industry sees strong demand in Q4 FY25, but faces challenges in April 2025 due to heatwaves. In this insight, we are covering Q4...

Nimish Maheshwari

Themes of India: Cement Industry Q3 Update

The overall indian cement industry is going under consolidation where 3-4 big players are gaining market share as well as acquiring different...

Nimish Maheshwari

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Indian Cement Industry: Can Price Hikes Offset the Geopolitical Shock?

​Indian cement sector experiences severe margin compression due to INR 400 per tonne cost shock, despite strong Q4 volume growth.

Nimish Maheshwari

Quiddity Leaderboard NIFTY Mar27: Some High-Impact ADDs/DELs; ~US$1.3bn Combined One-Way Flow

We expect US$824mn and US$493mn one-way flows for NIFTY 50 and NIFTY Next 50 respectively. The NIFTY 50 expected ADDs/DELs have >8x ADV to trade.

Janaghan Jeyakumar, CFA

Indian Cement: Cost Headwinds Meet Robust Demand, Forging Pricing Power

​Pan-India cement prices rise 8% due to increased costs, signaling a shift in industry dynamics and companies' pricing power to protect margins.

Nimish Maheshwari

Cement Wars: Ultratech Vs Adani Cements

​Indian cement industry sees strong demand in Q4 FY25, but faces challenges in April 2025 due to heatwaves. In this insight, we are covering Q4...

Nimish Maheshwari

Themes of India: Cement Industry Q3 Update

The overall indian cement industry is going under consolidation where 3-4 big players are gaining market share as well as acquiring different...

Nimish Maheshwari

Indian cement sector experiences severe margin compression due to INR 400 per tonne cost shock, despite strong Q4 volume growth.

Pan-India cement prices rise 8% due to increased costs, signaling a shift in industry dynamics and companies' pricing power to protect margins.

Indian cement industry sees strong demand in Q4 FY25, but faces challenges in April 2025 due to heatwaves. In this insight, we are covering Q4...