India/Switzerland: LafargeHolcim has announced that it has entered into a letter agreement with Nirma Limited subject to approval by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the divestment of its interest in Lafarge India for an enterprise value of approximately US$1.4bn. Lafarge India operates three cement plants and two grinding stations with a total capacity of around 11Mt/yr. The company also markets aggregates and is one of India’s leading ready-mix concrete manufacturers. The proceeds from the divestment will be used to reduce LafargeHolcim’s debt.
Eric Olsen, CEO of LafargeHolcim, said, “This agreement is an important step in our US$3.6bn divestment programme. With this deal, two thirds of the programme has been secured and it is well on track. We are confident that we will meet our target by the end of this year. With the proposed buyer we have found the right partner who will be able to develop the business further in the interest of all of our stakeholders.”
LafargeHolcim will continue to operate in India through its subsidiaries ACC Ltd. and Ambuja Cements Ltd., which have a combined cement capacity of more than 60Mt/yr and a distribution network that extends across the entire country.
