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Birla Corporation, the Rs 2,160 crore revenue flagship of the MP Birla group, announced the setting up a 1 million tonne cement plant. It has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Assam government, to set up a plant at Umransu in the North Cachar Hills district. The project cost will be Rs 450 crore and will be implemented through a joint venture.
Continue ReadingIndia’s goods traffic movement is a good lead indicator of how some core sectors are performing. Coal is shipped by rail. Steel plants transport ore and other raw materials to their plants, and transport finished steel back by rail. Other key commodities being transported by rail include fertilisers, foodgrains and crude oil. An increase in freight traffic either indicates higher demand for raw materials (coal is used by power and steel plants) or higher production because shipments are going up.
Grasim Industries, the Aditya Birla group flagship, announced the restructuring of its cement business. The company’s board met today to consider a restructuring proposal, which has been widely reported in the media as pertaining to consolidation of its cement business.
Ultratech Cement’s sales and profits during the June 2009 quarter grew handsomely. The company is a subsidiary of Grasim Industries, a Aditya Birla Group company. Its net sales grew by 31% to Rs 1953 crore, and net profit rose by 58% to Rs 418 crore. Several factors contributed to its good performance: volume growth (partly due to new capacity), firm prices, excise duty reduction, lower coal prices and power costs.
The Holcim group-owned cement company sold 5.8% more cement in the quarter than it did in the previous corresponding period. Exports went up by 44%, contributing to 0.28mn tonnes of the 5.1mn tonnes sold during the quarter.
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