LafargeHolcim enters into agreement with Nirma Limited for divestment of Lafarge India
LafargeHolcim announces it has entered into a letter agreement with Nirma Limited subject to approval by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the divestment of its interest in Lafarge India for an enterprise value of approximately USD 1.4 billion. Lafarge India operates three cement plants and two grinding stations with a total capacity of around 11 million tonnes per annum. The company also markets aggregates and is one of India’s leading ready-mix concrete manufacturers. The proceeds from the divestment will be used to reduce debt further.
Eric Olsen, CEO, said: “This agreement is an important step in our CHF 3.5 billion divestment program. With this deal, two thirds of the program has been secured and the remainder of the program is well on track. We are confident that we will meet our target by the end of this year. With the proposed buyer we have found the right partner who will be able to develop the business further in the interest of all our stakeholders.”
LafargeHolcim will continue to operate in India through its subsidiaries ACC Ltd. and Ambuja Cements Ltd. with a combined cement capacity of more than 60 million tonnes and a distribution network that extends across the entire country.
The transaction with Nirma Limited as a purchaser will be submitted to the CCI for approval.
LafargeHolcim has a divestment target of CHF 3.5 billion in 2016 and has already completed the sale of its business in South Korea and signed an agreement to divest its minority shareholding in Saudi Arabia. The Group has also expanded its joint-venture with SNI, its historical partner in Morocco, by merging Lafarge Ciments Maroc and Holcim Maroc to create LafargeHolcim Maroc.
About LafargeHolcim
With a well-balanced presence in 90 countries and a focus on cement, aggregates and concrete, LafargeHolcim (SIX Swiss Exchange, Euronext Paris: LHN) is the world leader in the building materials industry. The Group has 100,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 29.5 billion in 2015. LafargeHolcim is the industry benchmark in R&D and serves from the individual homebuilder to the largest and most complex project with the widest range of value-adding products, innovative services and comprehensive building solutions. With a commitment to drive sustainable solutions for better building and infrastructure and to contribute to a higher quality of life, the Group is best positioned to meet the challenges of increasing urbanization.
About Nirma
Founded by Dr. Karsanbhai Patel and headquartered at Ahmedabad in Gujarat (India), Nirma Limited is one of India’s diversified conglomerates with businesses across industrial and consumer products ranging from soaps, detergents, salt, soda ash, caustic soda, cement, packaging and other household products. With over 12 manufacturing facilities in India and the USA, Nirma sells its products across 6 continents and has market leadership across several verticals. The Company has sales over US$ 1.1bn during FY16 (FYE March 31, 2016) and has a strong balance sheet.
