LafargeHolcim is considering revised divestment plan in India
LafargeHolcim today announced that it is considering a divestment of its interest in Lafarge India with an annual cement capacity of around 11 million tonnes. The divestment would require the approval of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as an alternate remedy for the merger of the Group’s legacy companies.
The Group is no longer in discussion with Birla Corporation Limited (BCL) for the sale of the Jojobera and Sonadih cement plants in Eastern India that was announced earlier. The BCL proposal involved the divestment of 5.1 million tons capacity by Lafarge India. Both BCL as buyer and the sale agreement with BCL were subject to approval by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) along with other regulatory approvals and customary conditions. Due to the current regulatory issues relating to the transfer of mining rights captive and critical to the two plants, LafargeHolcim was obliged to submit an alternate remedy to the CCI to ensure compliance with the order.
The alternate remedy is now under consideration by the CCI. The Group remains in dialogue with the CCI and will communicate any further updates to the divestment process in India in due time.
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 115,000 employees around the world and combined net sales of CHF 32 billion (EUR 26 billion) in 2014. 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.