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Of GST, GDP and GMP…

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GDP or Gross Domestic Product has become a very commonly used metric for assessing the performance of an economy; in India in particular, the term GDP has come in for some amount of ignominy due to changes made in methodology of its computation, without generating equivalent and corresponding back-series numbers for comparison.

GST, or Goods and Services Tax, on the other hand, has come into fashionable existence in the last few years, although a few other more hilarious or comical versions of this acronym are also doing the rounds as electoral gimmicks. Somewhere, however, these twains are intertwined, because we had projected the GDP of the country to grow by an incremental 2 per cent, only on account of implementation of GST.

The third term GMP, is more interesting, although lesser known. It stands for "Good Manufacturing Practices". More commonly applied to the pharmaceutical industry, GMP in a broader sense means hygiene, quality and competitiveness in manufacturing sector as a whole. GST is in turn very much relevant to GMP because introduction of one integrated country-wide tax was expected to bring down costs for our manufacturing sector, both logistics costs and input costs, enhance transparency and remove hidden transaction costs as well, and speed up in-bound and out-bound movements of goods. Evidently, all these impacts would increase the competitiveness of our manufacturing sector, help it grow faster, generate more jobs and in turn, contribute to growth of our GDP at a faster clip.

As we now celebrate the first anniversary of GST, it is certainly useful to take stock, even if some naysayers opine that GST is still very much a "work in progress". Admittedly, there have been a few large hiccups around the IT infrastructure, complex registration and filing processes, problems in export related refunds, delayed implementation of e-way bills, etc. But with all that, even the most ardent critic will accept that aggregate revenues have grown, and some of the informal businesses have been forced to formalise themselves, and as a direct consequence, the indirect tax base has widened. These are significant longer term benefits for the nation. But if GST was to push up the growth of the manufacturing sector in India, this is yet not visible on the ground – on the other hand some contrary and disconcerting signals are emerging from some of the manufacturing sub-sectors. So, the conclusion we can draw is that GST is more good than bad, but for it to impact GMP and GDP positively, may take a far longer time horizon than we might have imagined.

In the mean time, the cement industry continues to lament the incidence of 28 per cent GST, and continues to argue for mitigation. And, with revenue growth being more than satisfactory, the industry’s prayers may get answered sooner than later.

Sumit Banerjee
Chairman, Editorial Advisory Board

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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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