Cement despatches rose by 4.3 per cent in October to 8.74 million tonnes from 8.38 million tonnes during the same month of the previous year. Over the same period cement output climbed by 6.5 per cent to 8.87 million tonnes from 8.33 million tonnes in the corresponding month of the last fiscal. During the seven months ending October 2002, despatches inched up by 9.13 per cent to 63.09 million tonnes from 57.81 million tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous year. 
    Cement majors Grasim, Gujarat Ambuja Cements and L&T, which together account for nearly a third of the country's cement capacity, have recorded 19.07 per cent jump in their despatches for October 2002 as against the same month of the previous year. Total dispatches of these three companies amounted to 2.56 million tonnes for the month as against 2.15 million tones in the corresponding period of the previous year.