Displaying items by tag: India

India: UltraTech Cement has awarded Germany-based KHD Humboldt Wedag a contract relating to three new kiln lines, one new raw meal grinding plant with two KHD roller presses, and the upgrade of five existing clinker grinding plants with KHD roller presses. KHD said that the engineering and supply of equipment as well as supervisory services related to erection and commissioning, comprised a potential order volume of more than Euro30m. It added that UltraTech Cement and Humboldt Wedag India are currently negotiating with the aim of concluding a corresponding Engineering and Procurement (EP) contract package.

India: Aditya Birla subsidiary UltraTech Cement recorded a profit of US$506m in the nine-month period ending on 31 December 2020, up by 47% year-on-year from US$345m in the corresponding period of 2019. Sales fell by 4% to US$4.16bn from US$4.33bn. Third-quarter sales rose by 17% to US$1.68bn from US$1.43bn and third-quarter profit rose by 122% to US$217m from US$97m. The company said that it ended the period having reached 84% production at its newly acquired cement plants of 15Mt/yr total capacity. In the third quarter the board approved capital expenditure investments of US$747m aimed to increase cement production capacity by a further 13Mt/yr.

The company said, “Recovery from the Covid-19-led disruption of the economy has been rapid. This has been fuelled by quicker demand stabilisation, supply side restoration and greater cost efficiencies.” It added, “While UltraTech continues to closely monitor the impact of Covid-19 on its operations, its capital and financial resources remain entirely protected and its liquidity position is adequately covered. With strong rural growth, revival in manufacturing sentiment, buoyancy in the goods and services tax and tax collections, UltraTech expects demand to grow on the back of the government’s push on infrastructure projects. Given its pan-India presence, UltraTech is well-positioned to support the rising demand for cement in the country. As always, UltraTech remains committed to all its business associates and stakeholders.

India: Birla Corporation recorded a net profit of US$52.2m in the nine-month period which ended on 31 December 2020, up by 23% year-on-year from US$42.6m in the corresponding period of 2019. Sales fell by 10% to US$650m from US$724m, while earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 2% to US$141m from US$144m.

India: Residents of Haridaspur in Jajpur District, Odisha, launched a protest on 20 January 2020 outside Ramco Cement’s 0.9Mt/yr Haridaspur grinding plant. The New Indian Express has reported that the people allege that the company has fail to delivered promised local jobs. They also accuse it of failing to provide concrete roads, drinking water, healthcare and lighting. The company said that it has yet to receive a memorandum of the protestors’ request.

Ramco Cements commissioned the Haridaspur grinding plant in late 2020.

India: ACC and Ambuja Cements have chosen US-based Blue Yonder to improve their supply chain management. Both subsidiaries of LafargeHolcim are using Blue Yonder’s Luminate Planning software product to help improve sales and operational planning.

"We chose Blue Yonder as our partner for supply chain management digitalisation because Luminate Planning will give us greater visibility into our combined supply chains," said Rajeev Mehta, chief logistics officer, ACC and Ambuja Cement. "The objective of this project is to improve the customer experience and service levels, yet profitably grow by tapping into the synergies of our supply chains, thus maximising capacity utilisation and minimising overall cost."

India: Star Cement plans to increase the cement production capacity of its Guwahiti integrated cement plant in Assam by 2Mt/yr. It also plans to increase its clinker production capacity in Meghalaya by 2Mt/yr. The Free Press Journal newspaper has reported the total cost of the planned investment is US$137m. Managing director Sajjan Bhajanka said that the company would complete the work by mid-2023.

India: Cement producers in southern India have joined together to form the South Indian Cement Manufacturers’ Association (SICMA). United News of India has reported that the association aims to serve as an intermediary between producers and federal and state governments. In this, it says that it will help to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘affordable housing for all’ and ‘infrastructure for future.’ The India Cements vice-chair and managing director Narayanaswami Srinivasan will head the new organisation, supported by Barathi Cement’s director Ravinder Reddy as vice-president and Penna Cement’s director Krishna Srivastava as secretary.

SICMA alleges that the construction industry has exaggerated the effects of rising cement prices on its costs. In so doing, the association says, it has deprived the public of the housing the government had planned. It added that, with around 30% of India’s limestone reserves situated in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana alone, the South has the potential to become a cement hub for development across India, as well as for export.

India: Credit ratings agency ICRA expects cement demand to rise by 20% year-on-year in the 2022 Indian financial year, which starts in April 2021, allowing the local market to return to volumes previously seen before the coronavirus pandemic. In its latest report the credit ratings agency predicts that growth will be supported by rural demand, including affordable housing, and recovery in infrastructure segment, according to the Press Trust of India. Cement production capacity is forecast to increase by up to 22Mt compared to 17Mt in the previous year. Most of this additional capacity is expected to be in the eastern region. Capacity utilisation rates should recover to 64% from 56%.

India: Star Cement has announced the completion of its US$61m grinding plant project in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. The Press Trust of India has reported that the 2Mt/yr grinding plant is set to enter production shortly. This will bring the company’s installed capacity to 6.3Mt/yr. The company intends to source clinker from its integrated cement plant in Meghalaya that has mines nearby. Fly ash will be procured from West Bengal or Bihar.

Star Cement plans to discontinue its lease of another grinding plant in Siliguri, West Bengal, at the end of January 2021.

India: The government of India has granted licences to JSW Cement subsidiary Shiva Cement for the expansion of its cement plants in the state. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the company has received approval for an integrated capacity expansion of 1.1Mt/yr and a clinker capacity expansion of 1.3Mt/yr.

The state government approved a total of US$730m-worth of planned investments in various industries on 6 January 2020.