Concrete

Nailing the mega deal

Published

4 years ago

June 13, 2022

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Adani Group’s takeover of Holcim’s stakes in Ambuja Cement and ACC is touted as the biggest open offer in the history of corporate India.

At the open offer price of Rs 385 per share, using a key industry valuation metric of enterprise value (EV) per tonne, standalone Ambuja Cements NSE has been valued at nearly $299 per tonne. In contrast, ACC at an open offer price of Rs 2,300 per share is valued at about $131.4 per tonne. This reflects the inherent differences in the operational efficiency and thereby performance of the respective companies.

Other leading players in the cement industry, like Ultratech, which has the largest capacity in the sector with nearly 120 million tonnes, is currently valued at the stock markets at nearly $199 per tonne. Shree Cement with a capacity of nearly 47.4 million tonnes is valued at about $223 per tonne. Enterprise value is a measure of the company’s total value, and it is calculated by adding market capitalisation of a company plus its debt and minus the cash in the books.

The standalone Ambuja Cements has one of the highest operating margins in the industry, and in FY 2022, Ambuja Cements standalone operating profit margins were nearly 23 per cent, a decline of 4.6% YoY, on sales of Rs 14,268 crore. Meanwhile, ACC’s standalone operating profit margins were at 18.4 per cent, a fall of nearly 0.9% YoY in the 12 months ended FY 2022. In the case of Ultratech, standalone operating margins were at 22.7 per cent during FY 22, a fall of nearly 4%. Shree Cement recorded a 22.2 percent margin as against 30 percent in the previous year due to surge in power and fuel costs.

It is interesting to compare today’s scenario with the one 10 years ago in September 2012 when ACC was valued at $132 per tonne, similarly, enterprise value per tonne of Grasim and UltraTech was $121 per tonne and $176 per tonne, respectively. In case of Ambuja Cements, the company’s valuation was at $171 per tonne. The 212-million-tonne cement industry then saw major deals at a valuation of as high as $235 a tonne paid by Irish firm CRH for My Home Industries in 2008. Portuguese player Cimpor paid $162 for Shree Digvijay Cement Company in 2007 while Holcim paid $200 for Ambuja Cements.

However, the deal in June 2008 when French firm Vicat paid $100 a tonne for Sagar Cements, was the lowest in the previous years of M&A activities. The story has not changed as event then as now, coal prices rocked the destinies of cement companies. The decline in coal prices from as high as $160 a tonne to as low as $70 a tonne changed fortunes even then.

Coming back to the current scenario, the key problem continues to be the rising prices of pet coke and coal doubling during the year. Cement firms reported single digit sales growth for the second consecutive quarter in January-March driven by gradual demand recovery as well as price hike even as higher costs due to rise in crude oil and coal prices impact profits and margins. Competitive prices are compelling cement makers to explore alternatives to coal.
Over the next few months, the demand for coal and pet coke is expected to slow down while the prices would continue to remain high. Although cement prices have also hiked up, the rise is not enough to make up for the fuel prices. The inability to pass on costs fully to customers remains a primary concern. Now with the RBI raising the repo rate demand is likely to continue to shy away.

Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Pratap Padode

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NBCC Wins Rs 550m IOB Office Project In Raipur

PMC Contract Covers Design, Execution And Handover

Published

6 days ago

January 20, 2026

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State-owned construction major NBCC India Ltd has secured a new domestic work order worth around Rs 550.2 million from Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) in the normal course of business, according to a regulatory filing.

The project involves planning, designing, execution and handover of IOB’s new Regional Office building at Raipur. The contract has been awarded under NBCC’s project management consultancy (PMC) operations and excludes GST.

NBCC said the order further strengthens its construction and infrastructure portfolio. The company clarified that the contract is not a related party transaction and that neither its promoter nor promoter group has any interest in the awarding entity.

The development has been duly disclosed to the stock exchanges as part of NBCC’s standard compliance requirements.

Concrete

Nuvoco Q3 EBITDA Jumps As Cement Sales Hit Record

Premium products and cost control lift profitability

Published

1 week ago

January 19, 2026

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Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd reported a strong financial performance for the quarter ended 31 December 2025 (Q3 FY26), driven by record cement sales, higher premium product volumes and improved operational efficiencies.

The company achieved its highest-ever third-quarter consolidated cement sales volume of 5 million tonnes, registering growth of 7 per cent year-on-year. Consolidated revenue from operations rose 12 per cent to Rs 27.01 billion during the quarter. EBITDA increased sharply by 50 per cent YoY to Rs 3.86 billion, supported by improved pricing and cost management.

Premium products continued to be a key growth driver, sustaining a historic high contribution of 44 per cent for the second consecutive quarter. The strong momentum reflects rising brand traction for the Nuvoco Concreto and Nuvoco Duraguard ranges, which are increasingly recognised as trusted choices in building materials.

In the ready-mix concrete segment, Nuvoco witnessed healthy demand traction across its Concreto product portfolio. The company launched Concreto Tri Shield, a specialised offering delivering three-layer durability and a 50 per cent increase in structural lifespan. In the modern building materials category, the firm introduced Nuvoco Zero M Unnati App, a digital loyalty platform aimed at improving influencer engagement, transparency and channel growth.

Despite heavy rainfall affecting parts of the quarter, the company maintained improved performance supported by strong premiumisation and operational discipline. Capacity expansion projects in the East, along with ongoing execution at the Vadraj Cement facilities, remain on track. The operationalisation of the clinker unit and grinding capacity, planned in phases starting Q3 FY27, is expected to lift total cement capacity to around 35 million tonnes per annum, reinforcing Nuvoco’s position as India’s fifth-largest cement group.

Commenting on the results, Managing Director Mr Jayakumar Krishnaswamy said Q3 marked strong recovery and momentum despite economic challenges. He highlighted double-digit volume growth, premium-led expansion and a 50 per cent rise in EBITDA. The company also recorded its lowest blended fuel cost in 17 quarters at Rs 1.41 per Mcal. Refurbishment and project execution at the Vadraj Cement Plant are progressing steadily, which, along with strategic capacity additions and cost efficiencies, is expected to strengthen Nuvoco’s long-term competitive advantage.

Concrete

Cement Industry Backs Co-Processing to Tackle Global Waste

Industry bodies recently urged policy support for cement co-processing as waste solution

Published

2 weeks ago

January 15, 2026

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Leading industry bodies, including the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), European Composites Industry Association, International Solid Waste Association – Africa, Mission Possible Partnership and the Global Waste-to-Energy Research and Technology Council, have issued a joint statement highlighting the cement industry’s potential role in addressing the growing global challenge of non-recyclable and non-reusable waste. The organisations have called for stronger policy support to unlock the full potential of cement industry co-processing as a safe, effective and sustainable waste management solution.

Co-processing enables both energy recovery and material recycling by using suitable waste to replace fossil fuels in cement kilns, while simultaneously recycling residual ash into the cement itself. This integrated approach delivers a zero-waste solution, reduces landfill dependence and complements conventional recycling by addressing waste streams that cannot be recycled or are contaminated.

Already recognised across regions including Europe, India, Latin America and North America, co-processing operates under strict regulatory and technical frameworks to ensure high standards of safety, emissions control and transparency.

Commenting on the initiative, Thomas Guillot, Chief Executive of the GCCA, said co-processing offers a circular, community-friendly waste solution but requires effective regulatory frameworks and supportive public policy to scale further. He noted that while some cement kilns already substitute over 90 per cent of their fuel with waste, many regions still lack established practices.

The joint statement urges governments and institutions to formally recognise co-processing within waste policy frameworks, support waste collection and pre-treatment, streamline permitting, count recycled material towards national recycling targets, and provide fiscal incentives that reflect environmental benefits. It also calls for stronger public–private partnerships and international knowledge sharing.

With global waste generation estimated at over 11 billion tonnes annually and uncontrolled municipal waste projected to rise sharply by 2050, the signatories believe co-processing represents a practical and scalable response. With appropriate policy backing, it can help divert waste from landfills, reduce fossil fuel use in cement manufacturing and transform waste into a valuable societal resource.