Tamil Nadu PSU launches new 'high-quality' cement brand

Tamil Nadu Cements Corporation (TANCEM) on Tuesday introduced a new cement brand Valimai (meaning strength in Tamil) at a subsidised rate in a bid to provide “high-quality cement at a low price.”

The first sale of Valimai cement was launched by Chief Minister M K Stalin at the State Secretariat in Chennai in the presence of Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Additional Chief Secretary (industries) S Krishnan.

Valimai is the second product of TANCEM which has been selling cement under the name Arasu at a cheaper price. Thennarasu, while presenting the demand for grants of his department in August this year, had announced the launching of Valimai cement which will compete with other popular brands in the market.

The decision to launch a new brand that boasts of quality but at an affordable price was taken after the price of cement witnessed a huge spike during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in May-June. The cement will be sold in two varieties priced at Rs 350 and Rs 365 per 50 kg bag, Tennarasu said after the launch.

To start with, the TANCEM plans to sell about 30,000 tonnes of cement a month under the brand Valimai which will witness a gradual increase. This is in addition to 90,000 tonnes of cement being sold in the open market by TANCEM under the brand Arasu cement.

Thennarasu said the retail price of cement of various brands will come down with the introduction of the Valimai brand by the government. He also said the government has taken numerous steps to bring down the price of cement in the state.

TANCEM said Valimai cement comes with greater compression strength and quick setting, and is heat resistant. The state PSU has three plants in Ariyalur and Alangulam in Tenkasi district with a combined capacity to produce 17 lakh metric tonnes of cement.