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Yet Another Googly!

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The decision by the Railway Board to increase the Busy Season Surcharge (BSS) from 12 per cent to 15 per cent, effective from 1 October 2013, is yet another googly aimed at bulk commodity manufacturers like cement, which is already reeling under the pressure of dwindling demand and the spiralling cost of freight on the other.

The cost of freight has been rising due to the increase in oil prices, and when it comes to the last mile delivery, transportation costs by truck has also been on the rise; over a period of the last ten years , it has increased by nearly 50 per cent. In India, the transportation cost of cement is around Rs. 1.03 or Rs. 1.04 per tonne kilometre. The recent move to increase the BSS will have an additional impact on cement freight that is pegged at Rs 45 per tonne, and if one adds freight to coal movement, the impact could be as high as Rs 70 per tonne.

The move to hike the surcharge is detrimental to the cement industry which is already burdened with over capacity, to say the least; and it just does not augur well with the government´s ambitious plans to enhance the share of manufacturing in the GDP from the present 16 per cent to 25 per cent by 2022. Given the acute supply constraints of input materials and logistics support to the cement industry which keep getting worse every year, experts feel that unless and until government policies create a climate which results in a committed increase of the demand and clear- cut measures to ensure requisite supply of input materials and logistics support, as well as lowering the taxation burden on the industry, the ambitious plans will just remain just that!

There is an urgent need for setting up a regulatory mechanism to regulate and rationalise all rail matters including tariff and demurrages which will insulate users from any further arbitrary and frequent revision of the tariff by way of change in classifications by imposing surcharges and cess, etc.

It is high time that the government acted on the recommendation given by the Working Group on Cement Industry for the 12th Year Plan. There needs to be simpler, crystal clear and more transparent policies to avoid any chances of misinterpretation.

The need of the hour is to develop multi-modal transport systems- rail, road, coastal shipping and IWT- for movement of cement and clinker, as it is not possible for rail and road transport alone to cater to the steeply increasing transportation requirement of the industry. The concepts of Ro-Ro (Roll on – Roll off- wherein trucks are directly loaded on rail wagons and unloaded for last mile road transport at destination terminals ), road railers on the entire network, as also double stacking, would be a welcome step, provided all likely operational, technical and infrastructure problems are resolved and multi-modal transportation be made cost- effective.

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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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