Cement major JSW Cement is increasing installed capacities and moving fast towards becoming a green cement producer and a preferred partner in the construction sector.
JSW Cement, a part of the US$ 13 billion JSW Group, is one of India’s fastest growing cement companies and India’s largest green cement company. It is a fast paving way to emerge as a leader in the construction sector, contributing to national projects and strengthening the nation’s infrastructure.
The company has consistently been increasing its revenue and maintaining a strong financial position, despite the onset of the COVID-19-induced pandemic, and remains well positioned to contribute towards AtmaNirbhar Bharat through its world-class cement products. It is positioning itself closer to being listed on the Indian bourses as it moves towards an initial public offering (IPO) towards the end of CY2022. In its quest to be ranked among India’s top five cement players in India and its focus on increasing share of premium products, the Company is expanding its domestic cement manufacturing capacity. With this, it is set to realise its objective of becoming a 25 MTPA producing cement company by 2025.
Notably, within a span of four years, it has more than doubled its manufacturing capacity from 6 MTPA in 2019 to 14 MTPA currently. The cement major plans to augment its capacity mostly through a combination of setting up brownfield and greenfield projects and through inorganic growth opportunities. Currently, it is in the process of adding two cement plants of 5 MTPA each in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
Geographical diversification
The company has a strong business model with deep market presence in western, eastern and southern parts of India. It has established a reputation of having delivered superior quality products to some of India’s largest and prestigious infrastructural projects in the southern and western regions of the country. With a presence in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, and Goa, it has gained a foothold in the relative markets. The cement company draws its key strengths from the Group’s well-established track record in project execution and cost management.
Key risks
However, JSW Cement’s lower capacity utilisation and limited portfolio diversification is a key worry. Also, the substantial capacity expansion planned exposes the company to risks related to project execution. Further, being in the commodity sector, the company is highly susceptible to volatility in input cost and realisation and also to cyclicality in the cement sector. It is also exposed to volatility in input prices for key components including freight, fuel, power and raw material, which has the capability to impact its Operating Profitability Margin.