Bhopal, Sept 8: As many as 38 MoUs have been signed at the four investors' meets for establishing cement factories in Madhya Pradesh. Investment to the tune of Rs 73 crore is proposed to be made through these MoUs.

It may be mentioned that cement production in the state was a mere 15.39 million tonnes in the year 2002-03. Now the production rose to 18.90 million tonnes in April 2007. MoUs have been signed for expansion of these cement factories following which cement production will rise by 10.70 million tonnes per year.

HALF of Australia's biggest companies are risking cost blow-outs, an increased regulatory burden and reputational damage from climate change, according to an international report.

The report from the London-based Ethical Research Investment Services and the Centre for Australian Ethical Research in Canberra found that 48% of Australia's largest 200 companies are classified as having a high or very high potential impact from climate change. Collectively, these companies account for more than $545 billion in market value.

Launched by Ambuja Cement in three districts of Rajasthan

JAIPUR: Water harvesting and sustainable agriculture projects launched by a cement manufacturing firm in three districts of Rajasthan as part of its "corporate social responsibility' have started showing positive results by improving the storage capacity of ponds and other traditional sources of water and augmented the crop yield of farmers.

Rather than merely adhering to national climate-change rules, industries, such as cement, can lead the way with their own global agreements
by Elaine Coles

JOWAI: Concerned over the devastating effect of mining on environment and its components, the Jaintia Forum for Biodiversity and Cultural Heritage (JFBCH) has urged the Central and the State Government and all the concerned authorities to stop issuing the clearance certificates for expansion of all the existing cements plants in Jaintia Hills District.

The Aditya Birla Group is keen on acquiring coal mines to feed its cement business and is scouting for the mines in South Africa and Indonesia.

"We are looking for mines.... We have just started thinking on that," UltraTech Cement President and CFO K C Birla told reporters after the company's annual general meeting here today.

UltraTech is an Aditya Birla Group company engaged in the cement business.

Birla, however, said it was too premature to provide any further details now and declined to make further comments on possible acquisitions.

Chandan Kishore Kant / Mumbai July 18, 2008, 0:36 IST

Step will help ensure a balance between demand and supply

ACC, UltraTech Cement and other Indian cement makers may cut capacity utilisation by as much as 8 per cent in the financial year ending March 2008 as demand slows and new capacities are added, industry experts and analysts said.

Ajay Modi / New Delhi July 17, 2008, 0:40 IST Apprehending a slowdown in demand from oversupply, institutional investors, particularly foreign institutional investors (FIIs) have pruned their stakes in top cement companies such as ACC and Ultratech over the last four quarters. The industry has started feeling the pinch of measures taken by the government over the last one and half years, aimed at bringing down cement prices and checking inflation. With new capacity additions and an anticipated slowdown in realty, the cement sector could be heading towards an oversupply by the year-end.

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Coal is learnt to have approved the allocation of 23 coking and non-coking coal blocks to leading steel, cement and power producers, including Essar, Jindal Steel and Power Limited (JSPL), Grasim, Monnet and Ispat. While four coking coal blocks have been allocated in Madhya Pradesh, the remaining 19 non-coking blocks are in West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, according to official sources here. This was decided at the meeting of the Screening Committee of the Coal Ministry held last week.