India: Private sector ship builder ABG Group is in talks with private equity and financial firms to sell a minority stake in its cement business for about US$150m. According to Dhananjay L Datar, director of ABG Group, a potential deal is at a preliminary stage with several parties showing interest in the cement unit.
The group's cement business, ABG Cement, has a 6.5Mt/yr plant in Kutch, Gujarat, which is expected to be commissioned by the end of January 2013. India media has linked equity firms Blackstone and KKR to the deal. ABG Group originally announced its plans to enter the cement sector in 2008 with an initial investment of US$328m.