1st January, 2018
December 12, 2017: UltraTech Cement today commenced construction work for a greenfield cement plant at Ballara village, Pali district, through a unique digital ground-breaking ceremony performed by The Honourable Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Scindia, from her office in Jaipur. Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, the Chairman of UltraTech Cement Limited, a part of the USD 41 billion Aditya Birla Group, with the company’s Managing Director, Mr. K. K. Maheshwari, flagged off the event digitally from the Chief Minister’s office.
Says Mr. Birla, “The country is in a positive mood today. The Government has initiated and continues to bring in structural changes, which bode well for the Indian economy. These lay a strong foundation for the next round of growth for the nation and the states. Infrastructure projects, be it intra-city metros or high-impact national connectivity projects, are part of such growth oriented launch pads. We, at the Aditya Birla Group, are in step with these developments, and are preparing to participate in this fast growth phase of the country.”
“In this context, Rajasthan has emerged as one of the fast growing markets in North India owing to several ongoing Government infrastructure development initiatives, in keeping with the nation’s growth trajectory. UltraTech is proud to partner Rajasthan in its growth initiatives, by adding to its existing capacities of cement plants. We are enthused to be part of this continuing journey and plan to grow aggressively in Rajasthan, while contributing to the economic activity of the state,” added Mr. Birla.
The Aditya Birla Group has already made significant investments in Rajasthan in terms of financial resources, manpower development and management time to expand our businesses. Up until now these exceed Rs.9,000 crores. We have more than 8,000 employees in the State and our ancillary businesses have spawned thousands of additional jobs. Going forward a capex of nearly Rs.10,000 crores is planned, including the Pali project.
The 3.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) integrated cement plant will be set up at an investment of around Rs.1,850 crores. Commercial production from the plant is expected to commence by the mid of 2020. Together with its current capacities of over 9.5 mtpa of grey and white cement in Rajasthan, UltraTech’s presence will cross a significant 13 mtpa in the state, once this plant is commissioned.
Aditya Birla Group’s UltraTech Cement Limited is the leader in the Indian cement industry with a 92.5 Million Ton per annum installed capacity. Globally, UltraTech is the fourth largest cement company, outside of China. The company continues to look at new opportunities to grow, focusing on sustainability and with a strong sense of responsibility towards the communities it is part of.
Beyond business, our Group works in 5,000 villages, touching the lives of 7.5 million people annually through the Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development. In Rajasthan, the Aditya Birla Group makes a difference to more than 2 lakh people through our meaningful welfare driven projects, focusing on – healthcare, education, the girl child, sustainable livelihood, women empowerment, infrastructure and espousing social causes.
