Where was the first cement plant in India established (1904)?

The first attempt to manufacture cement in India was made in 1904 at Madras (now Chennai) by a company called South India Industries Limited. It used seashells as its raw material. However, the venture was not successful and soon closed.

The first successful cement plant in India was set up in 1914 at Porbandar in Gujarat by the Indian Cement Company Limited. It began production with a capacity of about 1,000 tonnes per year. During the First World War (1914-1918), the demand for cement rose sharply, which helped the industry grow. Soon after, plants were set up at Katni (Madhya Pradesh) and Lakheri (Rajasthan).

In 1936, several cement companies merged to form the Associated Cement Companies (ACC), one of the oldest and largest cement companies in India.

About the cement industry in India:

India is the second-largest producer of cement in the world, after China.

Cement is made mainly from limestone, along with clay (or shale) and gypsum. Coal and electricity are needed in large amounts for the process.

So cement plants are usually located near limestone deposits. Major cement-producing states include Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The industry was decontrolled in 1989, which led to rapid growth.

Large companies include UltraTech Cement (the largest in India), Ambuja Cements, ACC, Shree Cement and Dalmia Bharat.

Portland cement, the most common type, was invented in England by Joseph Aspdin in 1824. It was named after the Portland stone of the Isle of Portland, which it resembles when set.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Porbandar is where the first successful cement plant was set up (1914), but the first attempt was in Madras (1904).
• ✗Katni (Madhya Pradesh) had one of the early cement plants after 1914.
• ✗Kolkata was a centre of the jute industry.