Italcementi group company Zuari Cement has launched the construction of a 1Mta grinding unit in Solapur, Maharashtra.

The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Wednesday, was attended by Nabil Francis, Managing Director, Zuari Cement;, HS Ramesh, director – Business Development, and S Sundaram, VP - Projects.

The new Maharashtra unit is expected to be operational in the second quarter of 2015 and will serve the southern and western parts of the state. The facility will also be designed to double capacity as part of future plans to cater for growing demand in Maharashtra.

Zuari Cement has a total cement capacity of 6.2Mta in India, including two units at Sitapuram and Yerraguntla, along with a grinding centre at Chennai. It is currently also constructing a 3Mta plant in north Karnataka.