Ambuja Cement records 57% PAT increase in 1Q19

India’s Ambuja Cement Ltd (LafargeHolcim) has announced its stand-alone results for the 1Q19, recording a 57 per cent YoY increase in net profit after tax to INR4.27bn (US$61.4m) from INR2.72bn. However, its operating EBITDA declined 8.7 per cent to INR4.63bn from INR5.07bn.

Net sales rose three per cent to INR28.47bn in the first quarter of 2019, compared with INR27.63bn of the year-ago period. In particular, cement sales showed four per cent growth to finish at 6.37Mt against 6.22Mt of the 1Q18.

"The quarter ended March 19 saw a steady growth in top line. On the market side, we have introduced various innovative products to deliver superior performance and to become a preferred partner for our customers," said Bimlendra Jha, managing director and CEO, Ambuja Cement.

"Ambuja has also increased its capacity to repurpose and utilise waste and grew significantly in that respect versus last year. I am happy that we contribute in this way towards a greener and cleaner India."

The company’s continued focus on alternative fuels helped to partially mitigate the impact of a significant rise in power and fuel costs, according to a press release. Capacity utilisation was also reported to increase during the period.