Guwahati, Jan. 7: Meghalaya Cements Ltd (Topcem Cement) plans to focus on the local market and achieve an annual production of a million tonnes by the end of this fiscal.

“We will focus on strengthening our brand (Topcem) in the Northeast market to sustain our position as the market leader here. The company plans to close this year with a production of 1 million tonnes,” Anil Kapur, vice-president (sales and marketing), Topcem Cement, told The Telegraph here today.

The company produces 85 to 90 million tonnes per month.

“As of now, the competition in the industry is stiff and we plan to be one-up by offering quality products and services,” Kapur said.

Topcem started production in 2006 from its plant at Lumshnong in Jaintia hills of Meghalaya. The plant has an installed capacity of a million tonnes.

Cement prices, which till the other day had taken the upward curve, have of late gone down marginally given that supply has overshot demand. “The trend in this season is rather surprising. At the moment, we have a demand-supply shortfall of 11 lakh tonnes,” Kapur said.

The company, unlike some of its counterparts, has no plans of export.

“We plan to cater to the local market as the demand is still lower than supply,” he said, when asked about its export plans. Star Cement, another leading brand of the region, had last year exported clinker to Bangladesh by river.

As part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), Topcem, in association with Gauhati Medical College and Hospital organised a blood donation camp here today.

“Our corporate policy ensures that we give something back to society. We have in the past organised programmes for the physically challenged and the elderly. Last year, we placed dustbins across Guwahati,” Kapur said.