Cement prices likely to rise by end‑March
Analysts warn cement prices are likely to climb by the end of March as rising crude oil costs feed through to packaging and transport, adding upward pressure on construction project budgets (infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com). That shift can increase costs on remodels and new‑build work where concrete and masonry are significant line items.
Nuvama’s market note flagged a likely uptick in retail cement realisations toward late March or early April 2026, with dealers already pricing-in hikes as input-cost pressure mounts. (infra.economictimes.indiatimes.com) The report singled out rising petcoke costs and higher packaging expenses—both linked to crude movements—as the immediate triggers prompting manufacturers to reconsider price rollbacks. (thehindubusinessline.com) Polymer-based packaging costs have jumped sharply this month, with industry coverage noting polymer prices up more than 20% amid supply tightness and geopolitical strain in petrochemical feedstocks. (fortuneindia.com) Global petrochemical benchmarks such as ethylene and propylene, which feed polypropylene and HDPE pricing for cement bags, track movements in WTI and other crude benchmarks, tightening cost pass-through to pack materials. (plasticsengineering.org) Higher crude has already pushed diesel-linked freight costs upward and kept imported petcoke expensive, a combination that raises per-tonne logistics and fuel bills for pan‑India cement dispatches. (livemint.com) Analysts’ wider forecasts remain moderate: rating agency CRISIL projected cement prices could rise about 2–4% over FY26 even before the latest crude-driven inputs emerged. (economictimes.indiatimes.com) Market-price benchmarks show regional spreads: for March 2026, IMARC reported a North America cement price near USD 124.58 per metric tonne, illustrating how regional cost baselines differ as input-driven uplifts materialize. (imarcgroup.com)
