The increasing importance of the Indian port of Kochi as a major regional cement import hub has prompted both Malabar Cements and Zuari Cements to seek a 30-year deal with the port trust. The port already has in place operators such as Ambuja and UltraTech Cements, which contributed to the 250,000 t of this product were handled in the last financial year.
Zuari Cements, which has leased a 2.4 ha site, plans to be in operation within two years, when it will handle between 300,000 tonnes and 600,000 tonnes of cement, exporting this product to countries such as the Maldives and Sri Lanka.    
 
BC