Mumbai, Dec. 23 -- H .M. Bangur, 72, the chairman of Shree Cement, is unfazed by the acquisition spree of his peers, Aditya Birla Group's UltraTech and Gautam Adani's Ambuja Cements. He is in no hurry, avoiding the bidding wars and opting instead for organic growth. "It is never a question of size. It is a matter of efficiency," he believes.

Bangur sat down with Mint for a rare interview at his house near Mumbai's Peddar Road-other residents in the area, also called the 'billionaires row', are Mukesh Ambani and Sajjan Jindal.

Unlike the skyscrapers that dot the neighbourhood, Bangur's home is a two-storeyed haveli called Mohini Mahal. Dressed in a fading lavender polo shirt and black, loose-fitting trousers, one would be forgiven for mi...