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Going green

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Cement players who will showcase their abilities to go green will have the advantage in the long term – both in operational efficiencies as well as stock valuations, says Vaibhav Agarwal of PhillipCapital.

We attended a two-day conference organised by the INDIAN CEMENT REVIEW in Mumbai to discuss future opportunities and the way ahead. The agenda was to discuss the implications of infrastructure development on cement demand, space for opportunities such as composite cement, and most importantly, how the industry can reduce its carbon footprint. The conference was followed by an awards ceremony where leading personalities and companies were felicitated for their contribution to the sector.

Dalmia Bharat, JK Cement, JK Lakshmi Cement, Deccan Cement and NCL Industries were some of the corporate awardees and Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to MH Dalmia (OCL), Yadupati Singhania (JK Cement), PR Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha (Ramco Cement) and Umesh Shrivastava (Holtec Consulting).

The key takeaways are:
A step forward to convert itself to a SMART manufacturing sector, making the sector Sustainable, Measurable, Agile, Responsible, and technology-oriented, was the key agenda.
Conserving natural resources such as limestone, coal, minerals and lowering the carbon footprint was the underlying theme.
Consolidation will continue and entry barriers are now very strong.
It was emphasised that every manufacturer needs to identify its competitive edge for survival. Players who are able to differentiate themselves on operating parameters will be the new leaders in the industry.
Many newcomers may find it difficult to establish their mark and will be the eventual targets.

Composite cement is the next new thing
Composite cement means manufacturing cement through a mix of clinker (35-65 per cent), slag (20-50 per cent), and fly ash (15-35 per cent). With lower clinker factor, this will mean significant reduction in thermal energy consumption, lower carbon emissions, as well as preservation of natural resources. Research on this subject conducted by the industry showcases that the limestone requirement can come down to 0.60x per tonne of clinker (vs 1.43x currently for OPC) and carbon emission and energy consumption parameters can be lower by 58 per cent.

However, given that slag is not widely available across all parts of the country, adaptability of this new product by the industry is debatable.

Industry focus is utilisation ramp-up
None of the manufacturers present talked of capacity expansions. Even the newcomers present were cautious about giving guidance on capex. All understood that sufficient capacity is available in the sector and the immediate focus is only utilisation ramp-up with a firm and stable pricing environment.

Our takeaways:
Companies that are innovative and focused on efficiency improvement will have the advantage over players who lack these skill-sets (Dalmia Bharat leads the pack here).
Industry is cautious about overcapacity and no material incremental capex announcements will be made before the end of FY18.
Going green is the next big agenda for the industry and players who will showcase these abilities will have the advantage in the long term – both in operational efficiencies as well as stock valuations.
We understand that Dalmia Bharat is an industry leader in such green initiatives in the sector. Some of its internal targets give us the confidence that this thrust will prevail at Dalmia Bharat.

They include: (a) to be water positive in every plant by 2017; (b) 0.515 tonne of target carbon emission (0.526 currently, 0.66 industry) and (c) to rely on only renewable energy by 2030.

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Economy & Market

Hindalco Buys US Speciality Alumina Firm for $125 Million

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This strategic acquisition marks a significant investment in speciality alumina, a key step by Aditya Birla Group’s metals flagship towards becoming future-ready by scaling its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco Industries, the world’s largest aluminium company by revenue and the metals flagship of the $28 billion Aditya Birla Group, has announced the acquisition of a 100 per cent equity stake in US-based AluChem Companies—a prominent manufacturer of speciality alumina—for an enterprise value of $125 million. The transaction will be executed through Aditya Holdings, a wholly owned subsidiary.

This acquisition represents a pivotal investment in speciality alumina and advances Hindalco’s strategy to expand its high-value, technology-led materials portfolio.

Hindalco’s speciality alumina business, a key pillar of its value-added strategy, has delivered consistent double-digit growth in recent years. It has emerged as a high-growth, high-margin vertical within the company’s portfolio. As speciality alumina finds expanding applications across electric mobility, semiconductors, and precision ceramics, the deal positions Hindalco further up the innovation curve, enabling next-generation alumina solutions and value-accretive growth.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, called the acquisition an important step in their global strategy to build a leadership position in value-added, high-tech materials.

“Our strategic foray into the speciality alumina space will not only accelerate the development of future-ready, sustainable solutions but also open new pathways to pursue high-impact growth opportunities. By integrating advanced technologies into our value chain, we are reinforcing our commitment to self-reliance, import substitution, and building scale in innovation-led businesses.”

Ronald P Zapletal, Founder, AluChem Companies, said the partnership with Hindalco would provide AluChem the ability and capital to scale up faster and build scale in North America.

“AluChem will benefit from their world-class sustainability and safety standards and practices, access to integrated operations and a consistent, reliable raw material supply chain. Their ability to leverage R&D capabilities and a talented workforce adds tremendous value to our innovation pipeline, helping drive market expansion beyond North America.”

An Eye on the Future

The global speciality alumina market is projected to grow significantly, with rising demand for tailored solutions in sectors such as ceramics, electronics, aerospace, and medical applications. Hindalco currently operates 500,000 tonnes of speciality alumina capacity and aims to scale this up to 1 million tonnes by FY2030.

Commenting on the development, Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries, said the deal reinforced their commitment to innovation and global expansion.

“As alumina gains increasing relevance in critical and clean-tech sectors, AluChem’s advanced chemistry capabilities will significantly enhance our ability to serve these fast-evolving markets. Importantly, it deepens our high-value-added portfolio with differentiated products that drive profitability and strengthen our global competitiveness.”

AluChem adds a strong North American presence to Hindalco’s portfolio, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tonnes across three advanced manufacturing facilities in Ohio and Arkansas. The company is a long-standing supplier of ultra-low soda calcined and tabular alumina, materials prized for their thermal and mechanical stability and widely used in precision engineering and high-performance refractories.

Saurabh Khedekar, CEO of the Alumina Business at Hindalco Industries, said the acquisition unlocked immediate synergies, including market access and portfolio diversification.

“Hindalco plans to work with AluChem’s high performance technology solutions and scale up production of ultra-low soda alumina products to drive a larger global market share.”

The transaction is expected to close in the upcoming quarter, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

 

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Concrete

Shree Cement reports 2025 financial year results

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Shree Cement posted revenue of US$2.38 billion for FY2025, marking a 5.5 per cent decline year-on-year. Operating costs rose 2.9 per cent to US$2.17 billion, resulting in an EBITDA of US$528 million—down 12 per cent from the previous year. Net profit fell 50 per cent to US$141 million. The company reported cement sales of 9.84Mt in Q4 FY2025, a 3.3 per cent increase from 9.53Mt in Q4 FY2024, with premium products making up 16 per cent of total sales.

Image source:https://newsmantra.in/

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Concrete

Rekha Onteddu to become director at Sagar Cements

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Sagar Cements has announced the appointment of Rekha Onteddu as a non-executive independent director, effective 30 June 2025. According to People in Business News, Rekha Onteddu is currently serving in a similar capacity at Andhra Cements, the parent company of Sagar Cements.

Image source:https://sagarcements.in/

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