Bangalore
Dalmia-OCL, the refractory business of Dalmia Bharat Group, announced the merger of all its domestic businesses under a consolidated entity, Dalmia Bharat Refractories Limited (DBRL), the company said on March 2.
“This will translate into Dalmia Refractories Limited, Dalmia Cement Bharat Limited-Refractories Unit and GSB India as Dalmia Bharat Refractories Limited with immediate effect,” it said in a statement.
Sameer Nagpal, MD and CEO, Dalmia Bharat Refractories, said, “Our refractory business was split into separate companies, resulting in the division of our financial, managerial and technical resources. This consolidation will lead to a more centralised, efficient and robust management system with a strong resource base for the future.
The company said, “The objective of the consolidation was to strengthen the financial position of DBRL, enhance its investment capabilities, expand its talent base and position the new entity for its clients in the steel, cement and other industries with high temperature processes. “
“The formation of DBRL will allow the group to offer a wider portfolio of products and services, besides enabling China to become an alternative supply source for steel, cement and non-ferrous manufacturers in international markets,” Mr. Nagpal said.
India’s refractory production is estimated to be over two million tonnes per annum and the industry is valued at Rs 9,000 crore annually. The steel and cement industries are the largest consumers of refractories, with a global average specific consumption of 15 kg per metric ton for steel and 0.5 kg per milligram ton for cement.
Refractory is a material that is resistant to decomposition by heat, pressure or chemical attack, and retains strength and form at high temperatures. Manufacturing plants that perform operations such as melting, firing and related treatments use refractory materials in their linings. Most refractories are ceramics, or other highly heat-resistant materials engineered to tolerate extremely high temperatures (over 1,000 °F or 538 °C) in contemporary production.