Q&A: A. Gupta, Director & CEO OCL India

We discussed OCL India's growth path, future plans and social and sustainability practices with Mr. Amandeep Gupta, Director & CEO Cement.

Q: The boards of Dalmia Bharat Limited and OCL India have recently announced the merger of the two entities, a move that will create the fourth largest cement maker in the country with an installed capacity of 25 million tons per annum and annual revenues of about Rs 10,000 crore. How do you expect this to affect your position on the Indian market?

A: The merger of OCL India with Dalmia Bharat will create a single listed entity, giving our shareholders, a true value of a pan India player. This merger will also help us to drive synergies further.

Q: Mr. Hennie Botes, CEO of Moladi, told us that the African governments have begun understanding how critical housing is for the fight against poverty. Is the situation similar in India? How important is the housing segment for the Indian market and for your company?

A: The housing sector plays a very critical role in every growing economy as it affects the country's GDP in multiple ways, both directly and indirectly. With India being the second largest populous country, it is even more relevant here. The Government of India has launched its Housing for all by 2022 mission last year, which envisages the construction of 2 crore houses pan-India, by the mentioned date. This will directly provide a boost to many sectors, from heavy industries, like Cement and steel, to others such as paint, furniture and even small scale industries. Also, the housing sector is one of the top five employment generators in India. Thus, the boost in housing also has a deeper indirect impact. Strong housing activities will remain a key to Indian market in the next 5-10 years.

Read more of this exclusive interview in India Cement and Construction Materials (ICCM) journal, issue 33.