Mumbai: Dalmia Bharat will spend around ₹1,000 crore on capital expenditure in the quarter to March, taking its total spend for the current fiscal to around ₹3,000 crore, its senior management said on Wednesday.This includes spending on expansion in Bihar and North-East, land for some future projects and some cost reduction projects, chief financial officer Dharmendra Tuteja told analysts.The fourth largest producer of cement in the country plans to spend between ₹2,500 crore and ₹3,000 crore on capital expenditure in 2025-26 (April-March). It currently has an annual production capacity of 46.6 million tonnes, which will increase to 49.5 million tonnes by March.In about six months, the company will also share a roadmap for the second phase of its expansion where it aims to have a production capacity of 75 million tonnes, chief executive officer Puneet Dalmia said.India is the second-largest producer of cement in the world, and domestic players have been aggressively adding capacities—through expansion and acquisitions—as they strive to cater to a robust demand expected over the next few years, led by the government’s push on infrastructure.Around 150-160 million tonnes of capacity is likely to be added between 2024 and 2028, led by a mix of organic and inorganic, and this incremental supply along with heightened competition could limit a growth in prices, Crisil had said in a report last year.Dalmia also said while there is a growing sense of optimism around cement prices after the recent recovery in prices, an increasing competitive intensity could cap “significant” gains.“I think this is the time when everybody is aggressive and going for market share. And I think there is added suffering because of the lack of demand growth in the first nine months,” he said. “Every industry goes through a phase where people will start prioritising margins over market share because beyond a level, market share will not deliver value.”He expects competitive intensity, especially in the southern markets of India, and consolidation within the industry to continue.