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The Indian cement industry, witnessing a consolidation and heightened rivalry between two corporate houses snapping smaller players, pins its hope on 2025 for an improvement in sales realisation, higher margins and acceleration in demand, expecting around 8 per cent sales growth helped by an increased government spendings on big-ticket infra projects. Over 50 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) capacity are being acquired for USD 4.5 billion by two leading players - Aditya Birla group firm UltraTech Cement and billionaire Gautam Adani-led Ambuja Cements, besides organic expansion of the existing units as they have kept their war chest ready prowling for opportunities. The industry faced challenges on numerous fronts in 2024, right from moderate capacity utilisation to lower sales realisation, which impacted the topline of several makers, contraction of margins and slower volume growth. However, 2024 would also be known for big-ticket acquisitions by UltraTech and Adani Cement to ...
Rating agency Icra has revised down its volume growth forecast for the cement industry to 4-5 per cent at 445-450 million tonne for the current fiscal on account of sluggish construction activity. In July this year, Icra had forecast a year-on-year volume growth of 7-8 per cent, expecting a better pick-up in demand in the second half. However, Icra has now revised its projection "on account of slower-than-expected ramp-up in construction activity across the housing and infrastructure sectors, post the General Elections," a statement said. Besides, on a YoY basis, the operating profit margins declined by 375 basis points to 12 per cent in Q2 FY2025 and by 192 bps to 14 per cent in H1 FY2025 as prices remained under pressure due to muted demand and oversupply. In the first half of FY25 all-India cement volumes witnessed a muted rise of 2 per cent YoY to 212 million tonne on account of the slowdown in construction activity in Q1 during the elections, followed by the ample monsoon ...
Raipur BJP MP Brijmohan Agrawal has raised objection over the "steep" hike in cement prices by its manufacturers and demanded intervention of the Chhattisgarh government and the Centre for a rollback of the increased cost. Agrawal said the sudden increase in the cement prices by Rs 50 per sack would affect infrastructure projects, including roads, buildings, bridges, schools, colleges and the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. In separate letters to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and the Competition Commission of India on September 6, Agrawal said despite Chhattisgarh being a state rich in minerals, iron, coal and energy resources, the cement manufacturers, by forming a cartel, tremendously increased the prices from September 3. The attitude of cement companies has become that of "looting" the innocent people of Chhattisgarh, he said, adding the government needs to take strict action against cement manufacturers. Mines, coal, energy, cheap ...
Dalmia Bharat on Wednesday said it has executed definitive agreements with debt-ridden Jaiprakash Associates Ltd (JAL) to acquire the latter's cement assets as per an earlier announcement. Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd (DCBL), a subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, on Tuesday executed definitive agreements with JAL for the acquisition of JP Super Cement Plant in Uttar Pradesh at an enterprise value of Rs 1,500 crore and costs and expenses of up to Rs 190 crore. However, this will be subject to various clearances and approvals related to JP Super plant and mines, said a regulatory update from Dalmia Bharat Ltd (DBL). Moreover, it is also subject to "fulfilling certain conditions precedent including the final outcome of the pending arbitration between JAL and Ultratech Cement Ltd." On December 12, 2022, DBL had announced that it will acquire cement assets of Jaypee Group's flagship company JAL and its associate firm at an enterprise value of Rs 5,666 crore. As part of that, DCBL also executed