Displaying items by tag: India

India: Holcim subsidiaries ACC and Ambuja Cements, along with Dalmia Cement, Shree Cement, UltraTech Cement and 15 other Indian cement producers, have violated antitrust laws through price collusion and supply restriction, a Competition Commission of India (CCI) investigation has uncovered. Reuters News has reported that regular price rises in the Indian cement market were the outcome of collusion between producers, which set target prices by district and carried out twice weekly inspections of participant companies’ operations. Senior executives from ACC and UltraTech Cement, among other companies, served as state-wide coordinators. They planned and carried out their deception by means including messaging platform WhatsApp.

ACC and UltraTech Cement, along with ACC’s fellow Holcim subsidiary Ambuja Cements, declined to comment, however Holcim said “The Indian companies are managing this matter responsibly and we expect them to continue to do so accordingly."

India: India imported 2.03Mt of coal from Russia in July 2022, making the widely sanctioned nation its third largest source of coal that month. The figure represents a 10% month-on-month increase from 1.85Mt-worth of Russian coal imports in June 2022. The Economic Times newspaper has reported that the single largest importer of thermal coal in July 2022 was UltraTech Cement, with 170,000t.

India: In the first quarter of the Indian financial year, which began on 1 April 2022, Orient Cement recorded sales of US$89.5m, up by 3.3% year-on-year from US$86.6m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. The producer’s costs rose by 18% to US$82.2m from US$69.7m, which caused its net profit to drop by 58% to US$4.69m from US$11.2m.

India: Star Cement recorded sales revenues of US$82.3m in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, up by 29% year-on-year from US$63.9m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. The producer's net profit dropped by 24% year-on-year to US$5.23m from US$6.86m. This was primarily due to a 34% rise in operating expenses toUS$72.5 from US$54.6m.

India: Shree Digvijay increased its sales by 3.9% year-on-year to US$20.4m in the first half of the 2023 Indian financial year, from US$19.6m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. Despite this, higher costs resulted in a 21% fall in the producer's net profit to US$2.17m from US$2.75m.

India: Ramco Cements reported consolidated sales of US$225m in the first quarter of its 2023 financial year, up by 44% year-on-year. The producer recorded ‘weak’ cement prices in the quarter, during which time fuel costs rose ‘sharply.’ Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 17% to US$39.2m, while its net profit fell by 34% to US$14.4m.

Ramco Cements’ capital expenditure during the quarter totalled US$61.3m.

India: Adani Group has secured US$5.25bn-worth of bank loans from Barclays, BNP Paribas and Citigroup for its acquisition of Holcim’s Indian cement businesses ACC and Ambuja Cements. The Business Standard newspaper has reported that the group plans to expand its cement capacity by 43% to 100Mt/yr from 70Mt/yr.

India: CK Birla Group’s fibre cement roofing subsidiary HIL has agreed to acquire Fast Build Blocks for US$8.22m in a ‘slump sale.’ Fast Build Blocks produces autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks in Cuttack, Odisha. Press Trust of India News has reported that HIL is using the acquisition to establish a leadership position in the Eastern Indian market.

France: Despite a 12% year-on-year increase in consolidated sales to Euro1.75bn from Euro1.56bn, Vicat recorded a net income drop of 17% to Euro77.8m from Euro93.5m in the first half of 2022. The group attributed the decline to increased global energy costs and to non-recurring industrial costs in France, India and the US. These costs included investments in exceptional maintenance at its Montalieu cement plant in France and a debottlenecking capacity expansion at its Kalburgi, India, cement plant. Geopolitical events also impacted the profitability of the producer’s business in Mali. Group cement sales rose by 17% year-on-year to Euro1.1bn.

Chair and chief executive officer Guy Sidos said “The basis for comparison in the first six months of 2022 was unfavourably high given the sales and profitability levels achieved in the same period of the previous year.”

India: JK Lakshmi Cement recorded consolidated sales of US$209m in the first quarter of the 2023 financial year, up by 25% year-on-year from US$167m in the first quarter of the 2022 financial year. The group’s net profit was US$14.5m, down by 15% from US$17.2m.

ZeeBiz News has reported that the producer experienced a 29% year-on-year increase in costs to US$188m, which it attributed to rising global fossil fuel prices.