Displaying items by tag: Maharashtra

India: Birla Corporation’s revenue rose by 42% year-on-year to US$237m in the quarter of 30 June 2021 from US$167m in the same period in 2020. Sales volumes of cement increased by 38% to 3.35Mt from 2.42Mt. However, it noted that its sales volumes were 8% lower than the same period in 2019. Its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by 40% to US$47.6m from US$34.0m. The cement producer said, “Better management of the lockdown this year, both by the company and the [government] administration, helped mitigate the effects of restrictions imposed in the areas of operations of the company relative to last year.” It added that construction work had continued to be delayed on its new 3.9Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Mukutban, Maharashtra due to the second wave of coronavirus.

India: Shree Cement is on track to commission its 3.0Mt/yr cement grinding plant at Patas in Pune, Maharashtra in September 2021. The plant was originally scheduled for commissioning in late 2020 but this was delayed due to Covid-19 led-disruption. The unit has had an investment of around US$80m and it will source clinker from a group site in Karnataka. The plant is Shree Cement’s first in western India.

India: Larsen & Toubro says that it has won a contract to supply a 1.8Mt/yr grinding unit to a site belonging to a ‘leading cement producer’ at Dolvi in Maharashtra. The supplier said that the scope of the work includes civil and mechanical engineering and equipment installation.

JSW Cement operates a 2.2Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Dolvi. It upgraded the plant’s capacity from 1.2Mt/yr in 2019.

India: Researchers at the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Nagpur, Maharashtra, have shown in laboratory studies that an enzyme called urease found in watermelon seeds can strengthen cementitious materials and repair cracks in concrete. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the study found around a 22% increase in compressive strength, a 19% reduction in water absorption and improvements in durability. It is hoped that the food industry waste product could potentially be used to replace chemical admixtures commonly used in concrete production. Field studies are now set to follow.

Study leader associate professor Madhuwanti Latkar said, “Watermelon seeds are magic beans when it comes to importing strength to cementitious materials.”

India: JSW Cement has launched its first commercial ready-mix concrete plant at Chembur in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The plant has a capacity of 120m3/hr across two production lines. It will serve construction in south and central Mumbai. The technology for the plant was supplied by Germany-based Schwing Stetter. The company plans to establish three further batching plants in Mumbai, covering Navi Mumbai, Thane and western Mumbai.

“JSW Concrete was successfully piloted at our captive plants at Dolvi and Vijaynagar and used in the expansion projects of JSW Steel. The experience gained from these projects gave us enough confidence to offer this unique concrete product to our large project customers,” said TN Viswanathan, Vice President of JSW Cement.

India: Adani Enterprises Limited subsidiary Adani Cement plans to establish a 5.0Mt/yr integrated cement plant at Shahbaj in Maharashtra’s Raigad district. BusinessLine News has reported that the company will invest between US$122m and US$135m in the project. It has acquired 10ha of land on which to build the plant.

India: JSW Group has established a new large projects division. The division combines the former large projects division of its subsidiaries JSW Cement and JSW Steel. It will use the group’s new end-to-end sales platform Aikyam, according to United News of India. The integration is expected to create large scale volume opportunities for the steel and cement businesses in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Director Parth Jindal said, "JSW Group has the unique advantage of providing an integrated offering to its large customers in the infrastructure and building industries space.” He added "I expect Aikyam to fundamentally change the way JSW works with its large clients, while ensuring that our relationships continue to get stronger through a single group interface, bolstered by strong internal collaboration. In the near future we plan to offer other group products such as paints, construction chemicals, ready-mix concrete and many others to our large institutional customers through the Aikyam interface."

India: The Maharashtra parliament has formed a four-member committee to review the possible wildlife impacts of Birla Corporation subsidiary Reliance Cement’s planned Yavatmal cement plant in Mukutban, Maharashtra. The Times of India has reported that the plant received Stage II environmental clearance in 2018. In 2019, dry forest due for clearance under the plant plans was found to constitute part of a tiger corridor. As a result, Reliance Cement must apply to the Maharashtra State Board for Wildlife. The parliamentary committee will visit the site and prepare a report for the board.

India: Birla Corporation’s consolidated revenue fell by 1.6% year-on-year to US$936m in its 2021 financial year that ended on 31 March 2021 from US$951m in its 2020 financial year. Its cement sales volumes decreased by 1.8% to 13.4Mt from 13.6Mt. However, its earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 1.2% to US$195m from US$193m. It blamed falling sales on the coronavarus pandemic but it said it was able to increase earnings and profits by ‘aggressively’ rationalising costs.

"In the light of the massive disruptions faced at the beginning of the financial year, the 2021 financial year wasn't disappointing from the standpoint of profitability. Our performance reflected the resilience we have built over the years to external shocks. We also benefited from the stimulus provided by the government. But in the wake of the second wave of the pandemic, the year ahead looks more challenging. To my mind, India's ability to contain the pandemic through rapid inoculation and other means holds the key to economic revival," said Harsh Vardhan Lodha, chairman of Birla Corporation.

The cement producer also said that work on its new 3.9Mt/yr integrated cement plant in Mukutban, Maharashtra had been delayed due to a shortage of workers related to the ongoing health crisis. The plant is currently scheduled for commissioning by the end of the 2021 calendar year.

India: Ambuja Cement, part of Switzerland-based LafargeHolcim, plans to commission its upcoming Mundwa cement plant in Rajasthan by September 2021. The plant will have a total capacity of 5Mt/yr, consisting of 3Mt/yr of integrated and 2.0Mt/yr of grinding capacity. The Hindu newspaper has reported that the company aims to achieve 50Mt/yr total installed capacity in the medium term. It said that it is evaluating possible plant upgrades at Bhatapara in Chhattisgarh and Maratha in Maharashtra.