Jaiprakash to invest

Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, India is going to make an investment of Rs 375-400 crore in Madhya Pradesh under its capacity expansion plan. The company has two cement-manufacturing units in the Rewa district of the state, whose capacities are to be expanded.  The existing plants of the company, namely the Jaypee Rewa Plant and Jaypee Bela Plant have a manufacturing capacity of 2.5 million tonnes and 1.5 million tonnes per annum, respectively.

According to a company source, the company is planning to enhance the capacity of the Jaypee Rewa Plant from 2.5 million tonnes to 3.5 million tonnes, and that of the Jaypee Bela Plant from 1.5 million tonnes to 2.5 million tonnes per annum, by setting up thermal power plants.  Jaypee Rewa produced 211,500 tonnes of cement in May 2004, while Jaypee Bela produced 153,710 tonnes during the same period.

A highly-placed source in the department of industry told Business Standard that two other big cement firms were planning to invest more in Madhya Pradesh. "Two big cement companies are going to make investments of Rs 400 crore each in the state," a source in the department of industry said.

Madhya Pradesh has a large number of cement companies, including Associated Cement Companies Ltd in Jabalpur; Birla Corporation Ltd, Prism Cement Ltd and Century Textiles and Industries Ltd in Satna; Grasim Industries Ltd in Mandsaur; Jaypee Rewa and Jaypee Bela in Rewa; and Mysore Cements Ltd in Damoh.