Birla Corporation closed FY25-26 with a sharp rise in full year net profit and record cement volumes. The Company reported a net profit of Rs 5,580 mn, an increase of 89 per cent year-on-year, and consolidated cement sales of 18.72 million tonnes (mn t) at a record high. Capacity utilisation for the year averaged 95 per cent, well above an estimated industry average of around 70 per cent, and sales of blended and premium cement rose by 11 per cent and 18 per cent by volume respectively.

Cement production reached 19 mn t during the year and commissioning of Kundanganj Line III increased annual production capacity to 21.4 mn t from 20 mn t. The management attributed performance to continuous improvement in operating efficiency, cost optimisation and premiumisation of market share. In the March quarter the Company reported a net profit of Rs 2,950 mn, up 15 per cent year-on-year, with quarterly cement sales at 5.45 mn t, the highest ever for a single quarter, while revenue at Rs 28,750 mn remained broadly flat owing to subdued realisation and challenges in the jute business.

Premium cement continued to expand, accounting for 63 per cent of trade channel sales in the quarter and 61 per cent for the full year, and the Perfect Plus franchise delivered strong growth. Sales of blended cement comprised 87 per cent of quarterly volumes and 88 per cent for the full year, with notable increases of 15–16 per cent in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The shift towards blended products was noted to improve profitability and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by lowering the clinker-to-cement ratio.

Realisation per tonne for the cement division was marginally lower in the quarter at Rs 4,986, while full year realisation stayed near Rs 4,869 and EBITDA per tonne improved to Rs 786 for the year, lifting margins. Power and fuel cost per tonne eased to Rs 993 for the full year and green power usage rose from 25 to 31 per cent. The Jute Division faced a difficult year with a quarterly cash loss of about Rs 120 mn and production pressures due to raw jute shortages, though export sales improved; industry pricing and external factors will influence early FY26-27 dynamics.