Cement companies keen on JV with NTPC

The country’s largest power generation company, National Thermal Power Corporation’s (NTPC), move to foray into cement making in a joint venture has aroused interest among the domestic cement players.NTPC last week said that it has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from companies to partner the state-owned company in setting up four plants to manufacture cement using fly ash generated from its power stations.North-based Shree Cements, which has plans to set up a grinding unit in a joint venture with NTPC, has already submitted an EoI.

“The location of our grinding unit, which will have a capacity of around 1 million tonnes per annum, could be in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan, close to Delhi’s Badarpur unit of NTPC,” said Bangur, who is also the president of Cement Manufacturers’ Association. “We will supply clinker and NTPC will provide fly ash,” he added.

Read more in The Business Standard article.

Videocon to foray into hospitality, hydropower

After foraying into the telecommunications and thermal power sectors, Venugopal N Dhoot, chairman and managing director (CMD), Videocon Industries today said the group is sewing up plans to enter into hospitality and hydropower. The company is in talks with the Uttarakhand government for various projects.

A five star hotel and construction of a Dehra Dun-Mussoorie ropeway are the immediate proposals of the company in the hill state. Besides this, Videocon is also interested in acquiring a heritage building in a Mussoorie hill resort.
Videocon is eyeing for ten acres of land for the construction of five or seven star hotel on the foothills of Mussoorie. An amusement park is also on the cards near the proposed hotel.

As far as hydropower is concerned, Videocon expects to produce nearly 2,000 mw in the first phase of the plan. Already, company officials have held talks with the top state government authorities. The company has also held talks with the Uttarakhand Power Corporation (UPCL) for selling the power.

Emami Group to foray into realty, cement

The Emami Group will diversify into infrastructure with an entry into cement manufacturing and realty, for which it has build up a warchest of Rs3,500 crore ($864 million), to be used over the next 2-3 years.

“We want to get into infrastructure for its huge potential. Realty and cement-making will harness business opportunities within the segment and these plans will be funded from our warchest of Rs3,500 crore to be pumped in from different businesses over the next 2-3 years,” Emami Group director Aditya Agarwal told PTI.

The group has interests in healthcare, paper, writing material and personal and healthcare products. Emami, the only listed entity in the group, makes FMCG products.
Speaking about the group’s plan to enter cement manufacturing, Agarwal said Emami has signed an MoU with the Chattisgarh government for setting up a 4MT plant in two phases and a 100MW captive power plant in the state.

The project implementation is expected to be completed in three years with an investment of Rs1,600 crore, Agarwal said. The record date of the project was yet to be finalized.

Read more in The Livemint article.