Displaying items by tag: JK Lakshmi Cement
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.
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.
JK Lakshmi Cement to expand Kachchh limestone mine
29 November 2023India: JK Lakshmi Cement has obtained environmental clearance to mine up to 2.5Mt/yr of limestone from it Kachchh mine in Gujarat. The producer says that it plans to invest US$24m in expanding its operations at the site.
India: JK Lakshmi Cement recorded sales of US$189m during the second quarter of the 2024 financial year (FY2024), up by 15% year-on-year. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 33% to US$26.1m, while its profit grew by 43% to US$5.4m.
JK Lakshmi Cement to acquire 21% stake in Amplus Helios
19 September 2023India: JK Lakshmi Cement has concluded a deal to acquire a 21% stake in solar power plant engineering company Amplus Helios. Amplus Helios was founded as a special purpose vehicle for the construction of a 50MW captive solar power plant at JK Lakshmi Cement’s 1.7Mt/yr Durg cement plant in Chhattisgarh. The Free Press Journal has reported that the solar power plant will cost US$26m.
Seeking a stake in Sanghi Cement
26 July 2023Adani Group and JK Lakshmi Cement were reported to be leading the race to acquire Sanghi Cement this week. The Economic Times newspaper reported sources who said that both companies are about to start due diligence processes ahead of making formal offers in the next few months. The enterprise value of Gujarat-based Sanghi Cement is around US$730m. Shree Cement, Nirma Group and Dalmia Bharat were said to have been interested previously, but no longer at this stage. However, none of the companies involved have commented directly on any bidding process so far.
Coverage in the India-based press earlier in July 2023 suggested that Shree Cement had dropped out of the bidding process for a 40 - 70% stake in Sanghi Cement. Although the exact reasons for Shree Cement withdrawal were not expressed, it was noted that the enterprise value for Sanghi Cement included debts of around US$220m. In late 2022 the Kotak Mahindra Bank made an investment of around US$67m in Sanghi Cement to ‘help the company's liquidity profile and enhance its operations.’ The head of the bank’s Special Situations Fund added that the cement producer’s performance had been under pressure due to high energy costs and that this had been further exacerbated by impending debt repayments stemming from expansion capital expenditure.
Sanghi Cement had the misfortune of commissioning a new line at its integrated plant during the Covid-19 pandemic. The subsidiary of Sanghi Industries operates a 6.6Mt/yr unit at Kutch in Gujarat, with a 130MW captive power plant and a 13MW waste heat recovery (WHR) unit, making it one of the largest plants in the country. It also owns three cement terminals in Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa. Its annual power and fuel costs rose by 79% year-on-year to US$49.9m in the year to March 2022. Then its finance costs tripled to US$29m in the year to March 2023. Some of the increased fuel costs may have been down to the new production line but its total income in the year to March 2023 was lower than in the year to March 2019.
Adani Group and JK Lakshmi Cement both operate plants in Gujarat. Adani Group runs one integrated and one grinding plant in the state via its Ambuja Cement subsidiary. JK Lakshmi Cement owns a grinding plant. A number of other companies additionally manufacture cement in the state. The biggest of these is the country’s largest cement producer, UltraTech Cement, with three integrated plants and two grinding ones in Gujarat. It would be a surprise if this company tried to buy a share of Sanghi Cement. One prominent India-based cement company that does not have a manufacturing presence in the state is Shree Cement. This made it a compelling candidate for the acquisition before it ruled itself out.
On the national stage, ratings agency ICRA’s June 2023 cement sector report forecast a ‘stable’ outlook for the sector, with cement volumes expected to grow by 7 - 8% in the 2024 financial year. This should be supported by the residential market and infrastructure projects. Crucially, it also noted that power and fuel costs, which peaked in the July - December 2022, eased in early 2023 and are anticipated to further soften in the 2024 financial year. The agency’s view was that this would help company earnings margins, but not to the levels seen in the five years prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This may be cold comfort for Sanghi Cement, but it may have implications for any bidding process.
Lastly, ICRA also warned of the weakening effects that El Niño could have on the monsoon season and, in turn, rural house building during this period. The weather has been a ‘hot’ topic globally this year, as various records have been broken. Yet on a day-to-day basis the weather can also affect the business of making and selling cement. ICRA’s concern was for the latter. An example of the former occurred in June 2023 when Cyclone Biporjoy caused disruption at Sanghi Cement’s Sanghipuram plant. The unit was shut down in mid-June 2023 to protect the staff. Some damage was reported and the plant reopened at the end of the month. Again, as with fuel prices, the weather may also play a part in the calculations of any company considering buying a stake in Sanghi Cement.
India: Adani Cement and JK Lakshmi Cement have emerged as frontrunners in the contest to acquire Sanghi Cement for US$733m. The Business Standard newspaper has reported that the prospective buyers are expected to submit formal offers before October 2023.
India: JK Lakshmi Cement says that it will invest US$201m in its on-going upgrade to its Udaipur cement plant. When commissioned before April 2024, the upgraded plant will have an integrated capacity of 1.5Mt/yr, and an additional grinding capacity of 1Mt/yr. The Hindu BusinessLine newspaper has reported that the project will help to raise JK Lakshmi’s capacity to 18Mt/yr.
Over the six-year period up to the end of the 2030 financial year on 31 March 2030, JK Lakshmi Cement plans to invest US$972m in growth. This will include both capital expenditure (CAPEX) and acquisitions of new capacity. Planned CAPEX projects include the construction of two new plants, at Kutch in Gujarat and Nagaur in Rajasthan. The producer said that the planned plants will strengthen its position in the West India market. As a result of its investments, JK Lakshmi says that it will become a top-10 Indian cement producer by 2030.
JK Lakshmi Cement named Grey Cement 'Superbrand'
08 June 2023India: Superbrands Media India named JK Lakshmi Cement as its 'Superbrand' in the Grey Cement category at the Superbrand 2023 - 2024 awards on 7 June 2023, the Orissa Diary newspaper has reported. The producer beat its competitors across numerous categories that measure branding success.
President and director Shri Arun Shukla said "This accolade serves as a resounding validation of our steadfast commitment to delivering cement products of unparalleled quality and our ceaseless endeavours to reiterate the robustness and dependability of our brand. We wholeheartedly express our deepest gratitude to our esteemed customers and valued partners for their resolute trust and support, which have played an instrumental role in propelling us to this notable achievement."
India: JK Lakshmi Cement increased its full-year sales during the 2023 financial year to US$786m, up by 19% year-on-year from US$662m during the 2022 financial year. Over the same period, the producer's net profit dropped by 23% year-on-year to US$44.6m from US$57.7m. This was primarily due to a 24% rise in its total costs to US$722m from US$584m.
MoneyControl News has reported that JK Lakshmi Cement's vice chair and managing director Vinita Singhania said "Despite an unabated increase in the price of fuel, the company has been able to record satisfactory performance by increasing its efficiency parameters, optimising its product mix and geographies and focusing on several green initiatives."