Ambuja Cements

1981
 
 - The Company was Incorporated on 20th October, as Ambuja Cements
 Pvt.
 Ltd.  It was jointly promoted by Gujarat Industrial Investment
 Corporation Ltd. (GIIC) and N.S. Sekhsaria and his associates, Vinod
 K.
 Neotia and Suresh Mulani, for setting up a cement project in the
 joint
 sector.  The Company was converted into a public limited company on
 19th March, 1983 and its name was changed to Gujarat Ambuja Cements,
 Ltd., on 19th May, 1983.
 
 - The Company's object is to manufacture cement.
 
 - The Company adopted the latest dry process precalcination
 technology
 incorporating five stage preheater for the main pyro processing
 system
 of the cement plant.  For grinding the raw material, the Company
 undertook to instal the latest air swept roller mills of polysius
 design which were extremely energy efficient.
 
 - A computerised process control system with field instruments
 supplied
 by Larsen & Tourbo was also being installed to give consistently
 high
 quality cement with maximum productivity.
 
 - In addition, electronic packing machines were being obtained from
 Haver & Boecker, West Germany, and reverse air baghouse equipment
 from
 Zurn Industries, USA.
 
 - The company entered into an agreement with Krupp Polysius AG, (KP)
 West Germany, for supply of plant, equipment and service for the
 project, KP agreed to supply raw material and coal grinding vertical
 roller mills, homogenising and kiln feed, burning, cooling and coal
 firing equipment and pneumatic transport pumps.
 
 - KP have a collaboration agreement with Buckau Wolf India, Ltd. 
 who
 are supplying the balance items of the main plant as per KP design.
 The scope of the agreement with KP provides for complete engineering
 of
 the plant, technical documentation and information and supervision
 of
 erection and commissioning of the project.
 
 1983
 
 - All shares subscribed for by signatories to the Memorandum of
 Association, promoters, etc.
 
 1985
 
 - A letter of intent was received to increase the installed capacity
 from 7,00,000 tonnes to 14,00,000 tonnes per annum.
 
 - 146,44,500 No. of equity shares issued at par out of which the
 following shares were reserved for firm allotment: 38,24,448 shares
 to
 GIIC; 21,20,000 shares to overseas companies of non-resident Indian
 promoters on repatriation basis and 15,50,052 shares to N.S.
 Sekhsaria,
 Vinod K. Neotia and their associates.
 
 - Out of the balance 71,50,000 shares, 28,60,000 shares to
 non-resident
 Indians with repatriation rights and 8,75,500 shares to employees
 (including Indian working directors)/workers and business associates
 of
 the Company were reserved for preferential allotment.  The remaining
 34,14,500 shares were offered for public subscription during
 November.
 Out of the oversubscription, 33,50,000 shares were retained and
 allotted to the public.
 
 1986
 
 - 20,00,000 No. of equity shares issued at par of which 2,00,000
 shares
 allotted to private promoters and their associates and the balance
 of
 18,00,000 shares offered and allotted to the equity shareholders as
 rights in prop. 1:1.
 
 1988
 
 - Production declined marginally to 8,02,301 tonnes due to heavy
 rains
 in July-August 1989 coupled with flash floods on 16th July.
 
 1989
 
 - The 12.6 MW diesel generating sets which were imported during
 1988-89
 were commissioned during the year.
 
 1990
 
 - Necessary approvals were received for setting up another cement
 plant
 with 1 million tonne capacity per annum at village Suli, Tehsil
 Arki,
 District Solan of Himachal Pradesh.
 
 1991
 
 - In order to meet long-term working capital requirements, the
 Company
 issued 10,00,000 - 17.5% secured redeemable non-convertible
 debentures
 on private placement basis.  These debentures would be redeemed in
 three equal annual instalments commencing at the end of the 6th year
 from the date of issue of the debentures, at a prem. of 5% of the
 face
 value of the debentures.
 
 - In order to part finance its expansion projects, the Company
 proposed
 to issue 52,62,500 No. of equity shares of Rs.10 each at a prem. of
 Rs.190 per share.  Out of the total issue, 50,00,000 shares were to
 be
 offered to the existing equity shareholders of the Company as rights
 in
 the prop. of 1:4 and the balance of 2,62,500 shares were to be
 offered
 to the employees, directors and the business associates of the
 company.
 
 - In order to part finance its expansion projects, the Company also
 proposed to issue 52,62,500 - 17.5% secured redeemable
 non-convertible
 debentures aggregating to Rs.210.50 crores.  Out of the total issue,
 50,00,000 debentures were to be offered to the equity shareholders
 of
 the Company on rights basis in the prop. of 1 debenture for every 4
 equity shares held and the balance of 2,62,500 debentures were to be
 offered to the employees, directors and business associates of the
 Company.
 
 - Each non-convertible debenture would be attached with a detachable
 warrant and the holder of one such warrant would be entitled to
 apply
 for and be allotted one equity share of the Company at a price of
 Rs.300 per equity share (Rs.10 towards face value and Rs.290 as
 prem.).
 
 
 - The warrant holders at the time of exercising their right/option
 to
 subscribe for their equity shares entitlement would have further
 option
 either to pay a price of Rs.300 per share of the Company or to
 surrender the equivalent number of debentures as subscription for
 allotment of equity shares.
 
 - GACL Finance Ltd., Concrete Investments, Ltd., and Indo Nippon
 Special Cements, Ltd. are the subsidiaries of the company.
 
 1992
 
 - The Company undertook bulk cement transportation, by sea, to the
 major markets of Mumbai, Surat and other deficit zones on the West
 Coast.  Transportation was to be carried out by three specially
 designed ships.  The units bulk terminal at Kodinar and one at New
 Mumbai was completed and work on the third terminal near Surat
 began.
 
 1993
 
 - 51,60,165 rights equity shares allotted at a prem. of Rs.190 per
 share (49,66,815 shares, prop. 1:4; 90,850 shares to employees and
 1,02,500 shares to Associates); 1,10,281 shares of Rs.10 each
 allotted
 at a prem. of Rs.215 per share on exercise of warrants by warrant
 holders.
 
 1994
 
 - The Company's muller location 1.5 million tonne cement project
 with
 clinkeriation facility at site in H.P and grinding facility both at
 Suli & Ropar in Punjab was commissioned.  Land was acquired at
 Sahranpur to serve as another site for grinding cement.
 
 - The Company also undertook to set up a new unit, `Gajambuja
 Cement'
 with an installed capacity of 9.4 lakh tonnes, at the existing
 premises.  The kiln was fired on 1st March 1993 and the unit
 produced
 its first batch of clinker on 4th March, 1993.
 
 - The Company undertook to set up the third 1 million tonne cement
 plant at Ambujanagar.  Orders for plant and machinery were placed
 and
 the plant was expected to be commissioned by December 1996.  This
 will
 increase the company's total cement capacity to 4.5 million tonnes.
 
 - 45,65,044 shares allotted on conversion of warrants.  12,21,994
 allotted on conversion of aurobonds.  375 rights shares kept in
 abeyance allotted.  3,02,19,749 bonus shares issued in prop. 1:1
 10,00,000 shares allotted to IFC Washington.  4,404 rights shares
 kept
 in abeyance allotted.
 
 1995
 
 - The Company proposed to install one more cement mill at Himachal
 plant.
 
 - 11,251,829 shares allotted on optional conversion of FCCBs.  7,724
 Rights shares kept in abeyance allotted.  7,350 shares allotted on
 conversion of tradeable warrants.
 
 1996
 
 - Two more ships `Ambuja Keerti' and `Ambuja Shakti' were added to
 the
 Fleet.  The Company has submitted a proposal to revive Modi Cements
 Ltd. to IDBI during the year.
 
 - Another 19724 No. of equity shares allotted on conversion of
 warrants.
 
 1997
 
 - 100,000,000-10% non-convertible redeemable pref. shares of Rs. 10
 each allotted and 30,000,000-12.75% non-convertible redeemable pref.
 shares of Rs. 10 each redeemed.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd's (GACL) Kodinar plant is set to
 commence
 commercial production with an enhanced capacity by mid-April.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd. has offered to set up a multi-crore
 cement
 plant in Jammu and Kashmir.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd. (GACL) was set up in 1981 as a joint
 sector company, promoted by Narottam Sekhsaria and Gujarat
 Industrial
 Investment Company (GIIC).  Its cement plant which was commissioned
 in
 1985 was set up in technical collaboration with Krupp Polysius,
 Germany, Bakau Wolf and Fuller KCP.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd. (GACL) is setting up two new units with
 a
 capacity of 1.5 m.t. each through its subsidiaries.
 
 - The company has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), with
 the
 promoters of Modi Cement to take control of the sick company and has
 prepared a revival proposal to be submitted to the Board for
 Industrial
 and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).
 
 1998
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cements to set up a  million clinker Grinding
 unit
 in Sri Lanka.
 
 1999
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja is proposing to set up a greenfield cement plant
 with
 a six million tonne capacity in phases in Andhra Pradesh.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja is setting up a 0.50 MT bulk terminal and a
 packaging
 facility at Tuticorin for Rs 16 crore to increase its presence in
 the
 south, especially Tamil Nadu.
 
 - Maratha Cements Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gujarat Ambuja
 Cements is to be amalgamated with the latter.
 
 - The company has proposed a bonus shares in the ratio of 1:1.
 
 2000
 
 - Cement giants Larsen & Tubro (L&T) and Gujarat Ambuja Cements have
 entered a unique agreement to reduce transportation costs in
 despatching bulk cement in Gujarat.
 
 - The Company has entered the fray for setting up a slag cement unit
 near the integrated steel complex of Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd.
 in
 Karnataka.
 
 - The Company has entered into a contract with a Soinhalese firm,
 Mahaveli Marine Cement, to supply around 2.5 lakh tonnes of cement
 annually.
 
 - Eastern Ambuja Cement, a 92-per cent subsidiary of Gujarat Ambuja
 Cement, is in talks with Orissa-based Shiva Cement for a possible
 joint
 venture.
 
 - The Company has kickstarted its operations in Sri Lanka with the
 setting up of a cement terminal in the port of Galle, in the south
 of
 the island country.
 
 - Ambuja Cement Eastern, a subsidiary of Gujarat Ambuja Cements is
 making a preferential allotment of equity to its promoters to mop up
 Rs
 30 crore to part-finance its Rs 130-crore expansion project.
 
 - ICRA has downgraded the non-convertible debenture (NCD) programmes
 of
 the company.
 
 - Fitch India has assigned a rating of Ind AAA to the Rs 50 crore
 NCD
 programme of the company.
 
 2001
 
 - The Company has completed the issue of FCCBs of about 0 million
 issued in the international markets.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd., the fourth largest cement maker in
 the
 country, has closed its issue of secured non-convertible debentures
 after raising the targeted Rs 200 crore.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd is planning to issue fresh equity
 shares
 on a prefrential basis to non-promoter groups.
 
 - Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd (GACL) has received Rs 200 crore from
 foreign equity investor, Warburg Pincus, as part of its proposed Rs
 360-crore investment in the form of equity shares and convertible
 ants.
 
 - The company will buyback shares worth Rs 50 crore at a maximum
 share
 price of Rs 170 per share through the open market route, it said.
 Gujarat Ambuja Cements has clocked a 112 per cent rise in net profit
 at
 Rs 53.23 crore during the first quarter of the financial year
 2001-02.
 
 2002
 
 -Commercial production commences at Gujarat Ambuja Cements Maratha
 Cement Works plant
 
 -Board approves merger of Ambuja Cement Rajasthan with the company
 
 -Mops up Rs 50 cr by issuing non Convertible Debentures (NCD)
 
 -Allots 80 lacs warrants to Affinity Investments, an Affiliate of
 Warburg Pincus Equity Partners L.P
 
 -Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) directs Sebi to examine Guj
 Ambuja deal for ACC stake
 
 2003
 
 -SEBI finds no violation of Regulation 12 of the SEBI (Substantial
 Acquisition of Shares and Takeovers) Regulation, 1997 by Gujarat
 Ambuja Cements Ltd. with regard to the ACC deal
 
 -Raises  million through External Commercial Borrowings (ECB)
 
 2004
 
 -BIFR sanctions the rehabilitation scheme for merger of Ambuja Cement
 Rajasthan with Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd.
 
 -Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd has informed that Shri NP Ghuwalewala has
 been appointed as the Wholetime Director of the Company at the Board
 meeting held today on June 28, 2004