Displaying items by tag: India
ThyssenKrupp to sell stake in Indian subsidiary to local partners
21 February 2024India: Germany-based ThyssenKrupp has agreed to sell its 55% stake in ThyssenKrupp Industries India to local joint venture partners. VCCircle News has reported that the move is part of on-going strategic cost-saving measures. The supplier expects to complete the sale in mid-late 2024. As a result, its total global employees will drop by over 2300. Protos Engineering and Paharpur Cooling Towers will reportedly acquire the stake. The companies hold existing stakes of 16% and 11% respectively.
Ambuja Cements to build 4Mt/yr grinding plant in Jharkhand
21 February 2024India: Ambuja Cements is planning to build a 4Mt/yr cement grinding plant at Motia Village, Godda District in Jharkhand. The project has a budget of US$120m. The proposed plant will use fly ash supplied from the nearby Andani Power Godda thermal power plant.
Ajay Kapur, CEO – Cement Business at Adani Group, said “We believe that Jharkhand holds immense potential in terms of resources, infrastructure and skilled manpower, making it an ideal location for this project.”
Ambuja Cements operates two cement plant in Jharkhand with a combined production capacity of 6Mt/yr.
India: Dalmia Cement has launched new branding identifying itself as a Roof Column Foundation Expert. The identity is accompanied by the slogan ‘Roof, column, foundation strong, home strong.’ The company says that the branding will help it to position its cement as first choice in business-to-consumer (B2C) building materials retailing. The campaign especially targets towns of 20,000 – 100,000 people, outside of India’s metropolitan centres. The producer aims to raise its B2C sales from 65% to 70% in the 2025 financial year. It now operates a 45,000-strong retail network. In order to support further growth in the segment, the company plans to deploy 600 technical staff and 150 vans across India.
Chief operating officer Sameer Nagpal said “We believe that the brand must play a vital role in consumer’s lives so that they can make informed choices. Dalmia Cement has over the years developed proprietary know-how of optimising cement recipes that makes it most suitable for roof, column and foundation.”
Managing director and CEO Shri Puneet Dalmia said “Our new brand campaign manifests not just an eminent legacy, but also a commitment to consumer centricity – it conveys a core message that building a home with due care means building it for generations to come.”
JSW Group to build 10Mt/yr cement plant in Odisha
19 February 2024India: JSW Group’s new upcoming cement plant in Odisha will have a capacity of 10Mt/yr, the Hindu Business Line newspaper has reported. The plant will be situated in an upcoming steel complex, complete with a 900MW power plant and a 52Mt/yr port.
JSW Group’s cement subsidiary JSW Cement operates 19Mt/yr in installed capacity across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal. The producer plans to invest US$2.17bn to more than triple its capacity to 60Mt/yr by 2028. It has reportedly entered talks with financial institutions to raise US$723m through an initial public offering (IPO). JSW Group has invested US$3.61bn in Odisha to date, and is committed to investing
US$7.83bn there.
India: JSW Group plans to build a US$7.83bn steel complex in Jagatsinghpur district, Odisha. The complex will include a cement grinding plant. The Business Standard newspaper has reported that JSW Group's expansion plans in Odisha also include an electric vehicle and battery plant, at a cost of US$4.82bn. The group said that the investments reflect its commitment to diversifying its capabilities and contributing to the economic growth of Odisha.
Vinita Singhania appointed as chair of JK Lakshmi Cement
14 February 2024India: Vinita Singhania has been appointed as the chair of JK Lakshmi Cement. She will succeed Bharat Hari Singhania when he resigns from the post in April 2024. Bharat Hari Singhania has been appointed as the company’s chair emeritus and strategic advisor.
Vinita Singhania has been on the board of directors of JK Lakshmi Cement since 1989 and became its managing director in 2021. She became the first female president of the Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) and also led the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCBM). She is also a board member for JK Paper, Bengal & Assam Company, Udaipur Cement Works, HEG and other companies.
Bharat Hari Singhania holds over 65 years experience in the cement, automotive tyres, paper and synthetics sectors. He became the managing director of JK Lakshmi Cement in 1994 and then its chair in 2013. He stepped down as the company’s managing director in 2021. He is also a former president of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and chair of Indian Jute Mills Association and Indian Jute Industries Research Association, Kolkata.
Vicat reports full-year sales growth in 2023
14 February 2024France: Vicat recorded consolidated sales of Euro3.94bn in 2023, up by 8% year-on-year from Euro3.64bn in 2022. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were Euro740m, up by 30% from Euro570m. The producer's energy costs declined by 10% to Euro596m. Vicat noted ‘strong’ growth in sales across all regions except Kazakhstan and India, and in earnings in the US. Its cement volumes rose by 6.3% overall, but contracted in Egypt, France, Senegal and Switzerland.
JK Lakshmi acquires 85% stake in Agrani Cement
14 February 2024India: JK Lakshmi Cement has acquired an 85% stake in Agrani Cement. The value of the deal is US$39.2m. Agrani Cement was established in Kolkata, West Bengal in 2022.
Locals protest Ambuja Cements’ Darlaghat cement plant’s water use
14 February 2024India: Protestors from Bilaspur District have opposed the transfer of water from the Ali Khad stream to Ambuja Cements’ Darlaghat cement plant in neighbouring Solan District. A group of local farmers and village officials have successfully suspended water transfer to the plant from the stream at Trivenighat. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the Darlaghat plant will draw an estimated 1Ml/day of water from the Ali Khad stream. Protestors say that this would be enough to dry the stream, turning the area in Himachal Pradesh into a ‘desert.’ The Ali Khad stream currently waters 24 wells and seven irrigation networks, upon which 50,000 people depend.
Tamil Nadu Cements to expand Pudupalayam limestone mine
13 February 2024India: Tamil Nadu Cements plans to expand its limestone mining operations at the Pudupalayam quarry in Tamil Nadu. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that local residents have protested against the planned expansion. Some local landowners claim that Tamil Nadu Cements did not pay them for the 121 hectares of land it originally acquired in Pudupalayam.