Displaying items by tag: India

India: JSW Cement has launched its ‘Comp Cem’ product in Goa. It is a blend of clinker, ground granulated blast furnace slag and fly ash, according to the United News Of India. The new product is intended to help the cement producer expand its distribution network in the southern and western parts of the country.

India: The Cement Corporation of India has started the sale of its non-operating Nayagaon plant in Madhya Pradesh. Prospective bidders are invited to submit an expression of interest by mid-April 2019, according to the Press Trust of India. The Nayagaon plant was originally shut in 1997 but its mining lease remains valid for two quarries until early 2024.

The state-owned cement producer operates plants at Rajban in Himachal Pradesh, Bokajan in Assam and Tandur in Telangana. It has closed down integrated plants at Mandhar in Chhattisgarh, Kurkunta in Karnataka, Akaltara in Chhattisgarh, Charkhi and Dadri in Haryana, Adilabad in Telangana and Nayagaon in Madhya Pradesh. It has also closed grinding plants at Delhi and Bhatinda in Punjab. The company is planning to sell its non-operating plants first before divesting the operational units.

India: Residents of Jakhapura mouza, Jaipur district in Odisha have opposed plans by Chettinad Cement to build a 2Mt/yr grinding plant at the Kalinga Nagar Industrial Complex. Local citizens voiced their opposition to the project at a public meeting on environmental grounds, according to the New Indian Express newspaper. The proposed plant has a budget of US$36m.

India: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued a show cause notice to UltraTech Cement's Amreli plant in Gujarat for breaching air pollution limits. CPCB inspectors found that the particulate matter (PM) and NOx emissions were higher than allowed, according to the Times of India newspaper. The unit has been given 15 days to respond to the notice or face a fine of US$420/day since 31 August 2018.

India: FCI Aravali Gypsum and Minerals India plans to start operations at its new 0.3Mt/yr white cement plant to be built at Nohra Dhar, Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh by 2022. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between Aravali and the state government, according to the Press Trust of India. The project has an investment of US$85m and it is expected to create 150 jobs. Aravali operates 15 gypsum mines in Rajasthan.

India: The Cement Manufacturers' Association (CMA) of India has signed a four-year wage settlement agreement with federations of major central trade unions, giving a raise of around US$70/month and other benefits. The agreement was signed with Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), according to the Press Trust of India. It will last from 1 April 2018 until 31 March 2022 and it is expected to apply to around 20,000 workers in the sector. The CAM represents 21 cement companies and it covers 60% of the country's total cement production capacity.

India: JK Cement has invested nearly US$65m towards building two new grinding plants at Balasinor in Gujarat and Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh. The Balasinor plant will have a production capacity of 0.7Mt/yr, according to the United News of India. It will cost US$35m to build. The Aligarh plant will have an investment of US$30m.

India: Bimlendra Jha has been appointed as the managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Ambuja Cement, with immediate effect.

He joins the subsidiary of LafargeHolcim from Tata Steel where he has spent nearly three decades of his career. Over the past six years, he has held multiple leadership roles, including Executive Chairman Long Products Europe, Executive Director on the Board of Tata Steel Europe and CEO Tata Steel UK, looking after operations in UK, Sweden, and Canada.

He holds a B. Tech in Ceramic Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management, Marketing and Finance from the Xavier School of Management Jamshedpur.

India: JSW Cement plans to invest over US$275m towards meeting its target production capacity of 20Mt/yr by 2020. Following this achievement it intends to launch an initial public officer (IPO), according to the Economic Times newspaper. The company aims to reach its capacity target through expansions and upgrades at its existing plants.

At present the cement producer has a capacity of 12.6Mt/yr. It will add 1.8Mt/yr at Dolvi, 1.8Mt/yr at Vijayanagar, 1.2Mt/yr at Jajpur in Odisha and 1.2Mt/yr in Salboni. Following the IPO it will build new capacity in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

India/Pakistan: Cement importers in India have asked exporters in Pakistan to stop their consignments following a 200% rise in tariffs for cement and other products in India. The duties have been imposed in response to an attack on police in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in mid-February 2019, according to the Dawn newspaper. A source quoted by the newspaper said that cement shipments are being recalled on route to destinations in India.

Around 75% of Pakistan's cement exports to India are conducted at the Wagah land border, while the rest are handled at sea. Exports to India between July - January of the current financial year were 0.65Mt and exports in 2017 -2018 were 1.2Mt.