Cementmakers Aramit Cement Ltd and M I Cement Factory Ltd got the go-ahead of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) after Delhi had liberalised the cement import policy in May this year.

India's domestic manufacturers earlier this month had hiked prices by Rs 3-5 per bag.

"With these two approvals, the total number of approved foreign manufacturers in cement goes up to 13," a senior government official said.

BIS, the designated agency, has opened a special cell to clear proposals from abroad following government's liberalisation of the import policy.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade in May this year suspended restrictions on cement import until March 2008.

Earlier, the import was allowed only for captive consumption and on continuous basis.

"The government's decision to allow import of cement from other countries is mainly aimed at facilitating availability of cement at reasonable rates for the consumers without compromising on quality," the official said.

Foreign manufacturers receive the clearance within two months of their complete application received by BIS if all conditions are met by them. BIS issues permission after inspecting manufacturing facilities and testing the samples.

Currently, there are six complete applications with BIS -- three each from Pakistan and Bangladesh -- for which the process is going on, the sources said.