Displaying items by tag: India
Pakistan cement despatches up by 9.4% to 46.8Mt in 2018
23 January 2019Pakistan: Local cement despatches grew by 5.9% year-on-year to 40.9Mt in 2018 from 38.6Mt in 2017. Exports increased by 42% to 5.9Mt from 4.6Mt, according to data from the All Pakistan Cement Manufacturers Association. Overall, all cement despatches rose by 9.4% to 46.8Mt from 42.8Mt. By region, despatches and imports grew faster in the south of the country and exports fell by 7.8% in the north. Exports to Afghanistan fell by 12% but exports to India rose by 2% and overseas exports increased by 155%.
Adani Group to build cement plant in Gujarat
18 January 2019India: Adani Group plans to build an integrated cement plant at Lakhpat in Gujarat as part of a US$7.7bn investment in multiple projects in the state. Other projects include the world’s largest solar park and a lithium battery plant, according to the Press Trust of India. Adani Group is an integrated infrastructure conglomerate with interests in resources, logistics, energy, agriculture, real estate, public transport infrastructure, consumer finance and defence sectors.
JK Lakshmi Cement hires FarEye to improve logistics
15 January 2019India: JK Lakshmi Cement has hired digital logistics company FarEye to improve its operations. The cement producer hopes to improve its distribution network through more information, better control of movements of goods and improved collaboration with third-party vendors, according to Dataquest. FarEye will use its proprietary platform to integrate internal and external stakeholders to provide real-time visibility at a trip level.
“On our wide distribution network handling volumes around 0.8Mt/month, pilferage and back-and-forward loading are some of the key operational challenges that we face. We believe that gaining better visibility into our vast network of multiple plants and about 10,000 destinations will help us control pilferage, optimize capacity and eventually help us deliver a superior customer experience,” said Shailendra Chouksey, a director at JK Lakshmi Cement.
FarEye also plans to add value by providing business insights across the value chain, which could help to increase efficiency, cut costs and increase profits. It will also digitise Vehicle Placement and introduce Electronic Proof of Deliveries.
Nuvoco Vistas laboratory gains accreditation
14 January 2019India: Nuvoco Vistas’ Construction Development and Innovation Centre (CDIC) has been granted accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). It is the third cement producer after Ambuja Cement and RMC (India) to receive the accreditation, according to the Hindu newspaper. CDIC can now conduct more than 100 mechanical tests, out of which 55 tests come under the NABL accreditation covering a range of materials including cement, fly ash, ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS), concrete, aggregates, bricks, blocks, and construction chemicals.
Supreme Court dismisses judicial review request by Dalmia Bharat
10 January 2019India: The Supreme Court has dismissed a request by Rajputana Properties, a subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, to review to decision to dismiss a plea challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) order allowing UltraTech Cement to acquire Binani Cement, according to the Financial Express newspaper. UltraTech Cement declared that Binani Cement was its subsidiary in November 2018 following a protracted legal battle with Dalmia Bharat. It changed its name to UltraTech Nathdwara Cement in December 2018.
India: Birla Corporation has entered the construction chemicals and additives business by launching three new products. It is promoting Perfect Plus IWP, Perfect Plus SBR Latex and Perfect Plus Wall Putty, according to the Business Standard newspaper. The products will have been released in Uttar Pradesh and further rollout will follow. The initiative is intended to create a new revenue stream for the cement producer.
Central Pollution Control Board orders Malabar Cements to comply with emissions standards
07 January 2019India: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has ordered Malabar Cements plant at Walayar, Palakkad in Kerala to comply with emissions standards or face closure. The cement producer has been given seven days to comply from the 31 December 2018, according to the Times of India newspaper. Malabar Cements was originally granted extra time, to 10 May 2018, to meet the new standards. The CPCB later declared that no cement producer would be able to flout the rules past 31 August 2018. It also intends to fine the company around US$570/day from the end of August 2018 for breaking the standards.
India: Rajputana Properties, a subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, has requested that the Supreme Court consider a review of its decision to dismiss a plea challenging the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal's (NCLAT) order allowing UltraTech Cement to acquire Binani Cement. The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider the review request in early January 2019, according to the Financial Express newspaper. UltraTech Cement declared that Binani Cement was its subsidiary in November 2018 following a protracted legal battle with Dalmia Bharat. It changed its name to UltraTech Nathdwara Cement in December 2018.
Ministry finds irregularities in accounts of Burnpur Cement
04 January 2019India: A probe by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has found ‘serious’ financial irregularities in the accounts of Burnpur Cement. The regional director of the MCA has recommended an investigation of the company, according to the Business Standard newspaper. The MCA has also recommended that the cement producer be barred from making interest payments without government permissions in the interest of its shareholders. The company was reported as a non-performing asset in 2016 and its repayment schedule to lenders has been monitored in the media. It made a loss of around US$15m in the financial year that ended in March 2018.
India: UltraTech Cement has created a joint venture with Amplus Energy to expand its solar power generation capacity. The cement producer has acquired a 26% stake in the Amplus Sunshine, according to VCCircle Network. Amplus Sunshine will set up a 15MW captive solar plant at one of UltraTech’s Cement’s plants for an investment of around US$10m. The cement producer has a capacity of 50MW from its solar power plants but it intends to increase this. Amplus Energy installs rooftop solar power plants for the industrial and commercial sector.