NOVEMBER 20249JINDAL'S UPCOMING CEMENT UNIT TO LEVERAGE BLAST FURNACE SLAGAMBUJA CEMENTS ACQUIRES OCL AIMING TO BOOST PRODUCTION CAPACITYJindal Group, Blast Furnace Slag, Cement ManufacturingJindal Group announced the commissioning of a cement grinding unit with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) in Odisha as part of its Rs 2,200 crore expansion plan. In a statement, the group revealed that its arm, Jindal Panther Cement (JPC), has launched this grinding unit, emphasizing its commitment to low-carbon cement production. The new facility will utilize approximately 1 MTPA of blast furnace slag, which is a by-product generated from steel manufacturing through the blast furnace route.JPC has ambitious plans to scale up production capacity at both Angul and Raigarh to 7 MTPA, increasing from the current capacity of 1 MTPA, with an investment of Rs 2,160 crore. The grinding unit has been designed with low-carbon technologies and will use slag sourced from Jindal Steel and Power Ltd's (JSPL) nearby steel plant in Angul.Rohit Vohra, CEO of JPC, commented, "The commissioning of our Angul grinding unit marks a significant step in our journey towards a sustainable future. We aim to cater to the growing demand in central and eastern India with our green cement commitments." This development positions Jindal Group to enhance its footprint in the cement industry while prioritizing sustainable practices. Ambuja Cement announced on Tuesday its acquisition of 46.8 percent of Orient Cement Ltd (OCL) at an equity value of Rs 8,100 crore, aiming to boost its cement capacity to 100 MTPA by FY25 and increase its pan-India market share by 2 percent. The company also plans to make an open offer to acquire an additional 26 percent stake in OCL. This open offer, set to be completed within 3-4 months following the Substantial Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers (SAST) Regulations, is priced at Rs 395.40 per equity share, as per stock exchange filings. Karan Adani, Director of Ambuja Cements, highlighted that this acquisition is a key step in Ambuja's accelerated growth strategy, boosting its cement capacity by approximately 30 MTPA within two years.The company sees OCL's strategic locations and high-quality limestone reserves as opportunities to enhance its cement capacity to 16.6 MTPA in the near future. The Adani Group, already a major player in sectors such as infrastructure, energy, and real estate, continues to strengthen its foothold in the cement industry, critical for India's infrastructural growth.Following the acquisition announcement, the shares of both companies rose, with Ambuja Cement's shares increasing by 1.49 percent to Rs 580 and Orient Cement's shares trading at Rs 358.25, up by 1.65 percent as of 9:20 am. Ambuja will purchase 46.8 percent of OCL's shares from its current promoters and public shareholders, fully funding the acquisition through internal accruals. TOPSTORIES
< Page 8 | Page 10 >