Economy & Market

Cement, IIP and “Make in India”

Published

8 years ago

April 30, 2017

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The program called "Make in India" was intended to give a much-needed push to the manufacturing sector in India. The obvious objective was to grow the share of manufacturing in our GDP from a nondescript 15 per cent to a shining 25 per cent, which in turn would mean generation of new jobs by the millions – since manufacturing has been assumed to be labour-intensive, according to traditional wisdom – and no one can fault the relevance of the idea to our economy.

However, judging by the way the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) has moved in the last two years, this crucial program is yet to find its feet, leave alone delivering any noteworthy results on the ground. This could be because this good idea has neither been backed up by anywhere near an equally good strategy, nor by a good measure of execution. The challenging task is to translate such visionary concepts into well-coordinated policies and actions, which has not fructified yet.

To be credible, we must work with data, and there is no reason why we should not analyse this issue with reported numbers in public domain. During the so-called period of reforms in India from 1991 to 2014, the manufacturing sector did grow at a CAGR of about 7.5 per cent, if we took the average of IIP numbers and the Annual Survey of Industries. Even if we were to take the shorter and more recent period of 2005 to 2014, IIP throws up an average annual historical growth rate of 5.7 per cent. Contrast this with a dismal IIP growth of 3.5 per cent in FY15, 4.6 per cent in FY16 and a shocking 0.4 per cent in 11 months of FY17.

If one were to go by any kind of quantification and measurement of outcomes by data, the conclusion about success or otherwise, of "Make in India" will be very obvious. Add to this the facts that credit growth has stagnated, industrial capacity utilisations have fallen and merchandise exports have declined, and you have a clearer picture of what is happening with "Make in India".

How does cement figure in all this? Eight "Core" industries comprise nearly 38 per cent of the weightage of items included in the IIP. These are Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Petroleum Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement and Electricity. No wonder then, that some people say consumption of Steel, Cement and Electricity reflects the progress of a nation, although in today’s age of Internet and start-ups and artificial intelligence, this may sound too sedate and conventional.

While we do seem to know, that the steel cement and power sectors have not exactly covered themselves in glory during these "Make in India" years, let us take a look at the cement industry’s numbers.

There were days (and years) in the bygone past, when we used to have a strong correlation between GDP growth numbers and growth of cement consumption. In the post-decontrol era, from 1992 to 2012, cement demand has grown at a CAGR of 7.4 per cent as against a GDP growth CAGR of 7 per cent for the same period, showing a strong linkage between progress of the economy and consumption of cement, which is logical. Then came a new method of calculating GDP growth (which catapulted India to the exotic position of the fastest-growing country on Earth) and also came the launch of "Make in India" to give a boost to manufacturing, and this realistic and elegant relationship between growth of the economy and growth of cement got severed.

So, you now have an unusual situation during FY14 through FY17, when the GDP growth numbers per year were a very robust and healthy 7.3 per cent to 7.9 per cent, but cement consumption growth disappointed, with much lower growth figures of 4 per cent, 4.5 per cent and 1 per cent respectively.

Data can sometimes reveal the truth and sometimes hide it, depending on how we present it. But, to the best of my knowledge and belief, cement consumption growth figures, being based on absolute numbers, wouldn’t lie.

Sumit Banerjee Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board

Economy & Market

Hindalco Buys US Speciality Alumina Firm for $125 Million

Published

21 hours ago

June 25, 2025

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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.

Concrete

Shree Cement reports 2025 financial year results

Published

1 week ago

June 17, 2025

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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/

Concrete

Rekha Onteddu to become director at Sagar Cements

Published

1 week ago

June 17, 2025

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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/