The Hindu Business Line : Dalmia Cement to ramp up production

Tiruchi, Feb. 13 Buoyed by the unprecedented demand for its Vajram brand in 2006-07, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd aims to become a national player by ramping up its production capacity to 25 million tonnes in two phases.

Under phase 1, the company, along with its associate Orissa Cement, will expand production capacity to 15 million tonnes over the next few years. Under phase II, the company plans to start production units in Belgaum, Gulbarga, Rajasthan and Megalaya. With a strong presence in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the company has already extended its reach to Karnataka and plans to enter Andhra Pradesh by mid-2008, Mr T. Venkatesan, CEO and Whole-Time Director, Dalmia Cement, told media persons on Tuesday.

Works on the company’s new plants at Ariyalur and Cuddappah, each with production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes, are in progress. Both these plants would be commissioned within a year. Against last year’s production of 2.7 million tonnes, the company is poised to reach the level of 3.5 million tonnes by March.

He added that the company was in the process of expanding its dealer base in the southern States from 2,000 to 3,000. As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd has launched the Dalmia Institute of Construction to empower rural youth with employable skills.

The facility that would be functional from May is expected to address the shortage of trained professionals faced by the construction industry. ]

The free training programme is open for students above 18 years who have passed 12th std or completed a polytechnic course. Faculty for the training will be drawn from industry and the Dalmia group. Practical training in cement and its usage will be provided at the Dalmiapuram factory while on site training on the latest trends in construction would be imparted by reputed builders among the company’s clients, Mr. Venkatesan said.

Mr Venkatesan launched the facility on Tuesday in the presence of the company’s senior functionaries including Mr P. Acharya, Mr V. Balasubramanian and Mr S. S. Jain.

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