The `Suraksha' brand was launched a year ago in the Konkan region and has features which make it a durable cement for the coastal belt. This product has since then been made available in the entire Western coastal region and is now being launched in other parts of the country also. "This cement is more dense and its strength increases over a period of time and could be suitable for non-coastal areas also," Jain said. The demand for this brand has increased and now constitutes 50 percent of the production at the Wadi plant of ACC.

Jain was optimistic about the cement industry as consumption was growing at 12 per cent since the last six months.