Taiwan/Turkey: Taiwan Cement and Turkey’s Sanko Holding have signed a memorandum of understanding and a confidentiality clause about the company’s plan to invest in Sanko’s cement business. Taiwan Cement said it would continue talks with the Turkish business group about a strategic partnership and would make details public once the parties sign a definitive contract, according to the Taipei Times newspaper. The cooperation agreement was first announced in June 2018.

Pakistan: The Supreme Court has ordered cement producers to pay for underground water used by cement producers near Katas Raj. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that underground water is ‘very precious’ and added that cement factories using it near the temple at the site would no longer be able to do so for free, according to the Nation newspaper. The Chief Justice has also directed the Punjab Food Authority to audit local companies to assess how much water they are using and how much they are paying for it. The on-going case was started in response to a pond drying out at the Hindu heritage site due to water consumption by nearby cement plants.

India: Bharathi Cement has launched its BharathiUltraFast product for the market in Karnataka. The OPC 53 cement product promises faster pre-casting work, even in humid conditions, high early strength and a low heat of hydration to minimise crack formation.

The cement producer is a subsidiary of Vicat. The French company acquired a 51% stake in Bharathi Cement in 2010. It also owns Kalburgi Cement, formerly known as Vicat Sagar Cement. Bharathi Cement operates a 5Mt/yr integrated plant at Nallalingayapalli in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh and Kalburgi Cement runs a 2.75Mt/yr plant at Chatrasala in Kalaburagi district of Karnataka. Both plants market their products under the brand name ‘Bharathi Cement.’

Pakistan: Thatta Cement’s standalone sales fell by 22% US$23.1m in the financial year to 30 June 2018 from US$29.7m in the same period in 2017. Its gross profit fell by 35% to US$6.1m from US$9.4m. Its profit for the year fell by 39% to US$2.9m from US$4.7m.