UltraTech Cement crosses 200 MTPA capacity, becomes largest cement maker outside China; shares in focus

The milestone makes the Aditya Birla Group company the largest cement maker outside of China, having a capacity that is double that of the US and higher than the combined throughput in the whole of the European Union.

"This scale is unprecedented. No other company in any sector in India has ever reached this capacity milestone," Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla said.

The new units include cement grinding units at Shahjahanpur (Uttar Pradesh), Patratu (Jharkhand), and Vizag (Andhra Pradesh).

The company also has capacities in the UAE, Bahrain, and Sri Lanka.

Birla reiterated that the company is targeting an increase in capacity to 240 MTPA by the end of FY28, at an investment of ₹16,000 crore.

Birla said it took 36 years to reach 100 MTPA in 2019, while the next 100 MTPA took less than seven years amid a massive infra buildout in the country.

The company's cement has been used in a slew of projects, including the Central Vista project, the new Parliament, and also the Navi Mumbai International Airport.

The Adani Group stands second with a capacity of 109 MTPA at present.

Birla said over 110 MTPA of the capacity has been built organically by Ultratech over the years, while the rest has come through acquisitions like L&T, India Cements, and Binani.

UltraTech Cement Q3 FY26 earnings

UltraTech Cement, India's leading cement maker, reported a consolidated net profit of ₹1,729.44 crore for the December quarter FY26 (Q3 FY26).

It had posted a net profit of ₹1,363.44 crore in the October-December period a year ago, the Aditya Birla group flagship firm said in a regulatory filing.

Revenue from operations was at ₹21,829.68 crore in the December quarter of FY26. It was at ₹17,778.83 crore a year earlier.

The company said its results "for the three months and nine months ended 31/12/2025 are not comparable with the previous corresponding period" due to the acquisition of India Cements Ltd (ICL); Blrla White WallCare (earlier known as Wonder WallCare); and Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE-based RAKWCT.

Moreover, the scheme for the merger of the cement business of Kesoram Industries with UltraTech and their respective shareholders and creditors was also effective from March 1, 2025.

UltraTech's total consolidated income, which includes other income as well, was at ₹21,965.26 crore in the December quarter. Sales volume was up 15% to 33.85 metric tonne (MT). Its domestic grey cement production was at 36.37 MT, up 15.4% in the December quarter.

Cement industry growth forecast

The cement industry is expected to grow by 7-8% in the current fiscal year, supported by sustained demand from housing and infrastructure sectors, a report by rating agency ICRA said early in April 2026.

Profitability, however, will remain under pressure due to rising input costs and geopolitical tensions affecting fuel and freight.

In 2025-26 up to February, the cement industry posted a 9.2% year-on-year increase in volumes, it added.

According to ICRA, the cement industry witnessed healthy expansion in profits in the previous fiscal, following an 11-17% expansion in OPBIDTA/MT (operating profits per unit of sales volumes) to ₹900-₹950 per MT (metric tonnes).