AMBUJACEM

Changes date; Adds Adani Green's response in paragraph 6, updates stock moves in paragraph 9

May 5 (Reuters) - Representatives for Indian billionaire Gautam Adani met officials from U.S. President Donald Trump's administration to seek dismissal of criminal charges in an overseas bribery probe, with a resolution possible in a month, Bloomberg News reported.

In November, U.S. authorities indicted Adani and his nephew, Sagar Adani, alleging they paid bribes to secure power supply contracts, and misled U.S. investors during fund raises there.

The U.S. financial regulator summoned the duo, alleging they misled investors on compliance during a $750 million Adani Green ADNA.NS bond sale in the United States.

The billionaire's aides are trying to make the case that his prosecution does not align with Trump's priorities and should be reconsidered, Bloomberg News reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

The discussions began earlier this year and have picked up in recent weeks, with a resolution possible within a month if the momentum continues, the report said.

Adani Green, in a statement on Monday, reiterated it was not part of any proceedings, but it did not directly comment on the report about the meetings. It had recently said its review of the indictment found no non-compliance or irregularities.

The Justice Department and White House declined comment to Bloomberg on the report and did not respond to Reuters for comment outside business hours.

Adani Enterprises, the group's flagship firm, also did not respond to a request for comment. The group has previously denied any wrongdoing.

Shares of Adani Group's nine Indian listed companies rose between 1.7% and 10.5% on Monday, amid a 0.6% increase in the broader market.

The indictment has erased about $13 billion in market value from Adani Group's nine listed firms.

(Reporting by Bipasha Dey, Nandan Mandayam and Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Mrigank Dhaniwala)

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April 15 (Reuters) - Kaushalya Logistics Ltd KAUH.NS:

• KAUSHALYA LOGISTICS LTD - COMMENCES OPERATIONS AT KATIHAR DEPOT FOR AMBUJA CEMENTS

Source text: ID:nNSE21xfKq

Further company coverage: KAUH.NS

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March 28 (Reuters) - India's Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS has re-designated CEO Ajay Kapur as the managing director and named Vinod Bahety as its new chief, the Adani Group company said on Friday, effective April 1.

Kapur, who has spent three decades working in the cement, construction, power and heavy metals sectors, has been appointed for a two-year term while Bahety will serve as CEO for three years.

Bahety has been the finance chief for Ambuja and ACC ACC.NS, both subsidiaries of billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate, since September 2022.

The rejig comes as consolidation in India's cement sector intensifies, with Ambuja Cements charting an acquisition spree to rival the Aditya Birla Group-owned UltraTech Cement ULTC.NS. The two companies have jostled for market share amid expectations the government will continue to spend heavily on infrastructure.

(Reporting by Ashish Chandra in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)

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** The rough patch for India's cement sector due to demand slowdown in fiscal year 2025 and rising competition after Adani's entry is coming to an end, says UBS

** Upgrades UltraTech Cement ULTC.NS to "buy" from "neutral" and hikes price target to 13,000 rupees from 9,000 rupees

** UBS also upgrades Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS and Dalmia Bharat DALB.NS to "buy" from "sell", while reiterating "buy" on ACC ACC.NS

** Forecasts demand to bounce back in fiscal year 2026 due to pick-up in government capex after an election-led slowdown in FY2025, housing upcycle, improving rural outlook and policy support

** Estimates core profit CAGR of 18%-43% over FY2025-27 for the four cement companies

** Expects market leaders ULTC and Adani group-owned ACC and ABUJ to have an upper hand as sectoral consolidation continues

** ULTC, ACC, Ambuja Cements shares are down 3.28%, 5.8% and 3.1%, respectively in 2025 so far; benchmark Nifty 50 .NSEI is little changed over the same period

(Reporting by Bharath Rajeswaran in Bengaluru)

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In March 4 story, corrects paragraph 1 to clarify Ambuja Cements is buying Orient Cement, not India Cements

March 4 (Reuters) - India's antitrust watchdog, approved Ambuja Cements' ABUJ.NS acquisition of Orient Cement ORCE.NS on Tuesday, months after the Adani Group company first announced the deal.

Ambuja Cements, India's second-largest cement maker, in October revealed plans to buy stake worth $451 million in Orient Cement, intensifying competition with industry leader UltraTech Cement ULTC.NS.

Competition in the Indian cement sector has heated up recently, with UltraTech and the Adani Group companies striking a slew of deals to acquire smaller firms and expand their market share.

Analysts had doubted Ambuja's deal would win regulatory approval, considering recent acquisitions that have led to industry oversupply. Ambuja's shares fell 2.3% on October 22 when the deal was first announced.

Since October 22, Ambuja Cements' shares have dropped about 15%, while Orient Cements' shares have fallen nearly 5%.

In recent years, Ambuja has acquired smaller rivals Sanghi Industries SNGI.NS and Penna Cement PENC.NS.

(Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)

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** Shares of Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS climb 1.9% to 484 rupees, while Orient Cement ORCE.NS rises 2.3% to 334.95 rupees

** India's antitrust watchdog on Tuesday approved Ambuja's acquisition of Orient, months after the Adani Group company first announced the deal

** ORCE set for busiest trading session in over four months, with volumes at 6.8x the 30-day avg; ABUJ's vols relatively muted at about 0.3x its 30-day avg

** ABUJ on track to for biggest one-day gain in a month, ORCE for best day in more than 3 months

** ABUJ stock rated "buy' on avg, ORCE rated "sell" - data compiled by LSEG

** Ambuja and Orient are down about 11% and 4.5% YTD, respectively

(Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru)

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March 4 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• INDIA COMPETITION REGULATOR: APPROVES PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF UP TO 72.8% STAKE OF ORIENT CEMENT BY AMBUJA CEMENTS

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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March 3 (Reuters) - Kaushalya Logistics Ltd KAUH.NS:

• COMMENCES OPERATIONS AT DARBHANGA DEPOT FOR ACC AND AMBUJA CEMENT

Source text: ID:nNSE9CFgmG

Further company coverage: KAUH.NS

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Adds production start date for eDCTs in paragraph 8, union comment in paragraphs 10-11

MILAN, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Stellantis STLAM.MI said on Monday it would make dual-clutch transmissions for hybrid vehicles at its Termoli plant in Southern Italy, which its joint venture ACC has earmarked for the creation of an electric vehicle battery-making hub.

The Termoli plant, which currently makes engines, is one of three sites in Europe where Stellantis-led ACC has announced plans to create EV battery-making gigafactories.

While a gigafactory in France has already started operations, plans for two similar facilities in Italy and Germany were officially paused last year, as ACC was switching to lower cost batteries amid slowing demand for EVs.

A spokesperson for ACC - which also has Mercedes MBGn.DE and TotalEnergies TTEF.PA as shareholders - said on Monday the JV was still assessing its investment plans for Italy and Germany with an aim to take a decision within this year, but not before June.

Stellantis' announcement on Termoli does not change the ongoing situation, the spokesperson added.

Earlier this month the CEO of TotalEnergies, which owns a 25% stake in ACC, said the JV should focus its efforts just on the French plant, signaling the plans for the Italian and German gigafactories could be eventually scrapped.

Stellantis said in a statement on Monday it will produce electrified dual clutch transmissions (eDCT), a key component for hybrid vehicles, in Termoli starting from 2026, to help expand its hybrid product line.

It made no reference to ACC's plans for the plant.

"With a target of three hundred thousand units per year, Termoli becomes Stellantis' third production hub for this sophisticated transmission," the company said.

The automaker already makes eDCTs in Mirafiori, Italy, and Metz, France.

Italy's major metalworker unions welcomed the announcement on Monday, saying eDCT production would provide employment for around 300 of the total 1,800 staff at the Termoli plant.

Gianluca Ficco of UILM union said long-term decisions were now needed for the future of the plant, including on the gigafactory plan.

Stellantis also said on Monday it would increase production levels for key components needed to support increased eDCT output at its plants in Sint Truiden, Belgium, and in Metz.

It added it would also install a new assembly line for the components in Metz.

Stellantis, the world's fourth largest carmaker, currently has a separate plan with Chinese battery maker CATL 300750.SZ to build a 4.1 billion euro ($4.3 billion) gigafactory in Spain.

($1 = 0.9537 euros)

(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Editing by Cristina Carlevaro, Valentina Za and Jan Harvey)

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Feb 12 (Reuters) - Jupiter Wagons Ltd JUWL.NS:

• BAGS 6 BILLION RUPEES ORDER FROM AMBUJA CEMENT AND ACC

Source text: ID:nBSEgv341

Further company coverage: JUWL.NS

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Adds analyst comment in paragraph 5, ratings agency's forecast in paragraph 12

By Hritam Mukherjee

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Indian infrastructure and cement stocks declined in a special trading session on Saturday, as investors were disappointed by the 'modest' hike in capital spending announced in the annual budget.

The infrastructure index .NIFTYINFR reversed gains following the budget presentation, and closed 1% lower. Sector bellwether Larsen & Toubro (L&T) LART.NS ended 3.4% lower, its sharpest one-day fall in more than 3 months.

The Indian government said it will spend a record 11.21 trillion rupees ($129.54 billion) on infrastructure in the upcoming financial year that begins on April 1.

"The capex outlay for fiscal year 2026.. looks modest compared to raises made in FY25 and FY24 budget, and misses market expectations slightly," said Amit Anwani, research analyst at Prabhudas Lilladher.

"The budget proposals seem to focus a lot on consumption this time around... but the negative surprise has come from the shift of focus on government capex in infrastructure development," said Mirae Asset Sharekhan's Gaurav Dua.

IRB Infrastructure Developers IRBI.NS, which constructs highways, declined 3%.

"With corporate balance sheets fairly strong, (the) government wants private sector to step up on capex," the company's Chairman Virendra D. Mhaiskar said.

Shares of cement makers, which are key beneficiaries of government spending, fell on worries that of a slow demand recovery.

UltraTech ULTC.NS, the country's largest cement maker by capacity, fell as much as 6% before ending 2% lower.

Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS and Dalmia Bharat DALB.NS fell 2% each, while Shree Cement SHCM.NS dropped 3%.

Top cement executives have flagged that government spending hasn't picked up substantially since the national elections in 2024, with volumes growing sluggishly in the third quarter nearly across the board.

Cement demand is likely to log single-digit percentage growth in fiscal year 2026, India Ratings and Research said.

India is the world's second-largest cement producer, and the domestic industry is expected to grow 4%-5% in fiscal year 2025, significantly slower than the 8% and 12% growth seen in 2022 and 2023, data from ratings agency Crisil showed.

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Yagnoseni Das; Editing by Varun H K)

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Jan 29 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• AMBUJA CEMENTS Q3 PAT 17.58 BILLION RUPEES; IBES EST. 5.13 BILLION RUPEES

• AMBUJA CEMENTS Q3 REV FROM OPS 48.50 BLN RUPEES; IBES EST. 45.86 BLN RUPEES

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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Updates with analyst comments in paragraphs 4,6, background in paragraphs 5,7

By Hritam Mukherjee

Jan 13 (Reuters) - India's markets regulator has approved JSW Cement's JSWC.NS initial public offering, a notification on the regulator's website showed on Monday, four months after it put the IPO on hold for reasons it did not disclose.

The cement-making arm of the steel-to-energy JSW group filed for an IPO worth up to 40 billion rupees ($461.52 million) in August, aiming to capitalise on the country's booming stock market and long-term demand growth expectations for the building material.

In 2024, 91 large firms went public and raised a record 1.6 trillion rupees via IPOs, according to analytics firm Prime Database, with the bull run expected to continue in 2025.

"The approval came later than expected but came at the right time for the company as investor focus now shifts towards capital expenditure allocations in the upcoming federal budget, which would bring sectors like cement under the spotlight," said Mahesh Ojha, a research analyst at Hensex Securities.

India's finance minister will present the country's annual budget for 2025/2026 on Feb. 1.

"Plus, the parent group is well-known, so I expect strong investor interest in this IPO, especially from institutions for their long-term investment priorities," Ojha added.

The sector has been witnessing increased dealmaking recently, led by a face-off between Aditya Birla Group's UltraTech ULTC.NS - the market leader - and its challenger, Adani-owned Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS, while depressed prices and demand cool-down also weigh on the earnings of listed firms.

JSW Cement had said it would issue fresh shares worth 20 billion rupees, with existing shareholders also selling shares worth the same amount.

($1 = 86.6710 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Janane Venkatraman)

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Updates paragraph 1 and 2 with UltraTech-Star Cement deal

Dec 27 (Reuters) - Dealmaking in India's cement sector is in the spotlight again, after UltraTech Cement ULTC.NS, the country's top cement maker, said on Friday it will buy an 8.7% stake in smaller rival Star Cement STAT.NS for $100 million.

Ultratech is locked in a fierce battle with billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate, as the rivals snap up smaller firms in a bid to capitalise on expectations of heavy government spending on infrastructure.

Here is a timeline of some of the major deals announced in the sector since Adani's foray in 2022:

ADANI GROUP-HOLCIM AG, MAY 2022:

Adani Group entered the Indian cement sector by buying Ambuja Cements and ACC ACC.NS from Swiss construction material giant Holcim HOLN.S for $10.5 billion.

The deal remains the country's biggest in the cement sector.

DALMIA BHARAT-JAIPRAKASH ASSOCIATES, DEC. 2022:

Dalmia Bharat DALB.NS bought cement and other assets of Jaiprakash Associates JAIA.NS for $687 million to strengthen its presence in India's central region.

SAGAR CEMENTS-ANDHRA CEMENTS, FEB. 2023:

A company tribunal approved Sagar Cements' SGRC.NS $9.20 billion bid to take over Jaypee Group-owned Andhra Cements ANDC.NS.

AMBUJA CEMENTS-SANGHI INDUSTRIES, AUG. 2023:

Ambuja Cements bought a 83% stake in debt-laden Sanghi Industries SNGI.NS for $295 million in August 2023 - Adani Group's first major deal after U.S. short seller Hindenburg's report in January of the year.

ULTRATECH CEMENT-KESORAM INDUSTRIES, NOV. 2023:

UltraTech bought cement assets of Kesoram Industries KSRM.NS in a $645 million deal to boost its hold in the country's southern region.

AMBUJA CEMENTS-PENNA CEMENT INDUSTRIES, JUNE 2024:

Ambuja bought out Penna Cement Industries PENC.NS in a $1.25 billion deal. The deal likely lifted Ambuja to among the top three players in south India, analysts have estimated.

ULTRATECH CEMENT-INDIA CEMENTS, JULY 2024:

UltraTech inked a deal worth $472 million to gain control of India Cements ICMN.NS, after initially buying a 23% stake for $228 million.

AMBUJA CEMENT-ORIENT CEMENT, OCT. 2024

Ambuja Cements, India's No.2 cement maker, approved buying a nearly 47% stake in rival Orient Cement <ORCE.NS> for $451 million, but analysts raised doubts about the deal winning regulatory approval.

ULTRATECH CEMENT-STAR CEMENT, NOV. 2024

India's UltraTech Cement approved purchase of an 8.69% stake in Star Cement, it said on Friday, in a deal that could be valued at up to 8.51 billion rupees ($100 million) and firm its leading position in the sector.

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee and Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K and Janane Venkatraman)

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Dec 17 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• AMBUJA CEMENTS LTD - APPROVED SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN SANGHI INDUSTRIES AND AMBUJA CEMENTS

• AMBUJA CEMENTS - APPROVED SCHEME OF ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN PENNA CEMENT INDUSTRIES, CO

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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Dec 9 (Reuters) - Indian conglomerate Adani Group will invest over 7.5 trillion rupees ($88.53 billion) in various sectors like renewable energy and cement in the northern state of Rajasthan, Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports APSE.NSm, said on Monday at an investment summit.

($1 = 84.7200 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Sethuraman NR; Editing by Sonia Cheema)

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** Star Cement STAT.NS climbs 7% to 209.27 rupees; stock set for sixth straight session of gains

** Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS, the cement arm of billionaire Gautam Adani, is in talks to acquire STAT, market leader in northeastern India, Moneycontrol reports

** Acquisition is part of Adani group's expansion strategy - report

** STAT, in an exchange filing, said it is "not engaged in any discussions in this regard"

** ABUJ did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment

** ABUJ stock little changed after report, down 0.3%

** Avg rating on STAT, larger rivals ABUJ and market leader UltraTech ULTC.NS at "buy" - LSEG data

** STAT up ~20% YTD, set for third straight annual gain

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon in Bengaluru)

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Dec 3 (Reuters) - Several entities linked to the Adani Group have approached the India markets regulator to seek a settlement in a case that accuses them of violating public shareholding regulations through improper practices at four of the conglomerate's listed companies, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday.

Adani Group did not immediately respond to Reuters inquiry, seeking comments.

(Reporting by Anuran Sadhu in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza)

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Dec 2 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• AMBUJA CEMENTS - PARTNERS WITH COOLBROOK TO LEVERAGE ZERO-CARBON HEATING TECH

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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Adds quotes, background

NEW DELHI, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Both houses of Indian parliament were suspended temporarily on Thursday within minutes of opening as opposition lawmakers disrupted proceedings for the third day this week seeking a discussion on allegations against the Adani Group.

U.S. authorities have accused Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and managing director of Adani Green, Vneet S. Jaain, of being part of a scheme to pay bribes of $265 million to secure Indian solar power supply contracts, and misleading U.S. investors during fund raises there.

"We want a discussion on this in parliament. It is going to be the third day that we are demanding a reply from the prime minister" on the Adani issue, Manickam Tagore, a lawmaker from the main opposition Congress party, which has been leading the protests against the business group, told news agency ANI.

Many of India's opposition parties accuse Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of favouring Adani and blocking investigations against him in India, accusations both have denied.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has been a vocal critic of Adani, said Gautam Adani, 62, should be arrested.

While the government has not made any comment on the indictment, Modi's BJP has said it had no reason to defend Adani, adding that the party was not against industrialists and considered them partners in nation-building efforts.

"Let him defend himself," BJP spokesperson Gopal Krishna Agarwal said on Tuesday, adding that the law would take its course.

(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by YP Rajesh)

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Corrects paragraph 17 to remove language suggesting that Gautam Adani faces a criminal charge of foreign bribery, independent of the three criminal charges he faces

BENGALURU, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Indian billionaire Gautam Adani's indictment by U.S. authorities for his alleged role in a $265 million bribery scheme has sent shockwaves through his eponymous ports-to-soybeans conglomerate. The Adani Group denies the allegations.

Here is what you need to know.

THE MAJOR U.S. INDICTMENT

Gautam Adani, one of world's richest people, faces his biggest challenge after he was charged along with seven others over alleged bribery related to power supply deals in India, in what U.S. authorities called "The Corrupt Solar Project".

Adani Group, which runs several key infrastructure projects across the globe, says the allegations are baseless and has vowed to seek "all possible legal recourse".

The group's CFO has said the indictment is linked to one Adani Green Energy contract that makes up some 10% of the unit's business.

Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has distanced itself from the billionaire amid opposition calls for a probe and allegations that Modi is shielding Adani, charges his ruling party deny.

There is also a growing spotlight on Sagar Adani, a millennial scion of the company who is alleged to have kept track of hundreds of millions of dollars paid to Indian officials in what U.S. authorities described as "bribe notes".

The alleged bribes caught the attention of U.S. authorities when Adani's companies were raising funds from U.S.-based investors in transactions starting in 2021.

DISCLOSURE ISSUES, STOCK ROUT AND FALLOUT

The scandal has also raised concerns about market and public disclosure lapses by Adani Group, with authorities alleging the company issued false statements earlier this year related to its knowledge of the U.S. investigation.

The U.S. indictment has kept Adani Group's debt and equity under pressure, further exacerbated by credit ratings agencies including Fitch and Moody's cutting their outlook for several of the listed companies owned by the conglomerate.

The indictment has had other ramifications across the globe, including some bankers considering pausing fresh lending to the group and oil major TotalEnergies halting any further investments into Adani Group.

Kenya has ordered the cancellation of Adani infrastructure deals worth more than $2.5 billion and a U.S. development agency is 'assessing ramifications' on a Sri Lanka Adani port project it had agreed to finance.

In Bangladesh, a government panel has sought legal help for its investigation of power deals including one with Adani, while in India, a key southern state which figured in the indictment charges, Andhra Pradesh, is considering suspending a power purchase deal with Adani.

WHAT NEXT FOR ADANI, LEGAL OPTIONS

A key question is what next for Gautam Adani? He is charged with securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.

Adani has not been arrested and his whereabouts are unknown, although he is believed to be in India.

A trial could still be a long way off, even if Adani is extradited or surrenders in the U.S.

If convicted, Adani could face decades in prison as well as monetary penalties, although any sentence would ultimately be up to the judge overseeing the case.

For now, Adani has to answer U.S. SEC allegations within 21 days, a court directive states.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Kalra, Sonali Paul, Toby Chopra and Alexander Smith)

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Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• SRI LANKA'S FINANCE MINISTRY AND FOREIGN MINISTRY STUDYING ADANI ALLEGATIONS - CABINET SPOKESPERSON

• SRI LANKA TAKING CONCERNS SERIOUSLY, WILL CONSIDER ALL ASPECTS OF ADANI PROJECTS BUT NO FINAL DECISION MADE YET - CABINET SPOKESPERSON

Source text: [ID:]

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

Updates with moves by Bangladesh and US government bodies, CFO statement

BENGALURU, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by U.S. prosecutors for his alleged role in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials, sending shockwaves across his eponymous ports-to-soybeans business conglomerate.

Here is what you need to know about the U.S. indictment.

THE MAJOR U.S. INDICTMENT

Gautam Adani, one of world's richest people, faces his biggest challenge after being charged with seven others for alleged bribery related to power supply deals from energy projects in India, with U.S. authorities calling it "The Corrupt Solar Project".

Adani Group, which runs several key infrastructure projects across the globe, says the allegations are baseless and has vowed to seek "all possible legal recourse".

The group's CFO has said the indictment is linked to one Adani Green Energy contract that makes up some 10% of the unit's business.

There is also a growing spotlight on Sagar Adani, a millennial scion of the company who kept track of hundreds of millions of dollars of alleged bribes to Indian officials, in notes the prosecutors described as "bribe notes".

The alleged bribes caught the attention of U.S. authorities when Adani's companies were raising funds from U.S.-based investors in transactions starting in 2021.

DISCLOSURE ISSUES, STOCK ROUT AND FALLOUT

The scandal has also raised concerns about market and public disclosure lapses by Adani Group, with prosecutors alleging the company issued false statements earlier this year related to its knowledge of the U.S. investigation.

The U.S. indictment has kept Adani Group's debt and equity under pressure. Its dollar bond prices have fallen to almost a one-year low.

The indictment appears to now have ramifications across the globe, including news that some bankers are considering pausing fresh lending to the group.

Kenya has ordered the cancellation of Adani infrastructure deals worth over $2.5 billion and a U.S. development agency is 'assessing ramifications' on a Sri Lanka Adani port project it had agreed to finance. In Bangladesh, a government panel has sought legal help for its investigation of power deals including one with Adani.

Back in India, opposition parties have demanded a probe into allegations of wrongdoing and said they would raise the issue in parliament.

WHAT NEXT FOR ADANI, LEGAL OPTIONS

A key question is what is next for Gautam Adani? He is charged with foreign bribery, securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy and wire fraud conspiracy.

Adani has not been arrested and his whereabouts are unknown, though he is believed to be in India.

A trial could still be a long way off, even if Adani is extradited or surrenders in the U.S.

If convicted, Adani could face decades in prison as well as monetary penalties, though any sentence would ultimately be up to the judge overseeing the case.

For now, Adani has to answer U.S. SEC allegations within 21 days, a court directive states.

(Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Kalra, Sonali Paul and Toby Chopra)

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Adds details in paragraphs 6-8

Nov 22 (Reuters) - S&P Global Ratings lowered its outlook on three Adani Group entities to 'negative' from 'stable' on Friday, citing risks to funding access following a U.S. indictment of the conglomerate's billionaire founder, Gautam Adani, on bribery charges.

Adani and seven other people, including his nephew Sagar, were indicted on Thursday for fraud by U.S. prosecutors for their alleged roles in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials to secure power-supply deals.

Adani Group has said the accusations levelled by U.S. federal prosecutors, as well as those by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a parallel civil case, are "baseless and denied" and that it will seek "all possible legal recourse."

The U.S. indictment could affect investor confidence in other Adani Group entities, as the founder sits on the boards of other companies within the group, potentially impairing their access to funding and increasing funding costs, S&P said in a note.

"The group will need regular access to both equity and debt markets given its large growth plans, in addition to its regular refinancing. We believe domestic, as well as some international banks and bond market investors, look at Adani entities as a group and could set group limits on their exposure," S&P said.

S&P revised the outlook on a unit of Adani Green Energy ADNA.NS, the entity linked to the allegations, to 'negative' from 'stable'.

Adani Electricity and Adani Ports APSE.NS were also downgraded to 'negative', S&P said, adding that ratings on the three entities could go lower if allegations are proven true.

Cash flows of the group entities are expected to be materially affected due to an anticipated weakness in funding access, S&P added.

Bonds and most stocks of the Adani Group dropped for a second session on Friday after the indictment.

(Reporting by Manvi Pant in Bengaluru; Editing by Abinaya Vijayaraghavan)

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Updates with statement from Azure Power in paragraphs 10-11

By Kashish Tandon and Hritam Mukherjee

Nov 21 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have charged Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, founder of a conglomerate named after him, and seven others in an alleged bribery and fraud scheme related to a renewable energy project in India.

The authorities said Adani and the other defendants agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian officials to obtain contracts. The Adani Group denied the charges as baseless and that it would seek "all possible legal recourse".

Here are key details of the people charged by the U.S. authorities:

** Gautam Adani, 62, is Asia's wealthiest person after countryman Mukesh Ambani with a net worth of $57.8 billion, according to Forbes. He set up the Adani Group in 1988, beginning with commodities trading.

He and his nephew Sagar are accused of orchestrating the scheme to secure a solar energy project in India and misleading the company's investors during a $750 million bond offering, which raised about $175 million from U.S. investors.

** Sagar Adani is credited with building the solar and wind portfolio of Adani Green Energy ADNA.NS and currently oversees its "organization building as well as all strategic and financial matters", according to its website. He is an executive director of Adani Green.

** Vneet Jaain has been the managing director of Adani Green Energy since 2020. Before that, he headed other Adani group firms such as Adani Power ADAN.NS and Adani Infrastructure, according to his LinkedIn profile.

** Ranjit Gupta, between 2019 and 2022, was the chief executive officer of energy firm Azure Power Global, whose stock was traded on the New York Stock Exchange until November 2023.

U.S. authorities allege that Gupta conspired with Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain to pay bribes to Indian government officials for Adani Green and Azure Power to secure a solar energy project in India.

Azure Power told Reuters in an emailed statement that it was "aware of the actions" announced by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities & Exchange Commission against its former employees.

"We have been cooperating with those agencies in relation to those and other matters and we will continue to do so," the firm said.

Gupta, currently CEO of energy firm Ocior Energy, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Ocior Energy did not immediately respond to a separate Reuters request for comment.

** Cyril Cabanes, who U.S. court documents said was a citizen of Australia and France who resided in Singapore, was the managing director of infrastructure overseeing Asia Pacific and Middle East regions at Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a Canadian investment firm, between 2016 and 2023.

The indictment document said that an unnamed unit of CDPQ is the top stakeholder of Azure Power.

Cabanes, his then-CDPQ colleagues Saurabh Agarwal and Deepak Malhotra, and Rupesh Agarwal are accused of joining the conspiracy between 2021 and 2022.

Cabanes did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

** Saurabh Agarwal worked with a company associated CDPQ from May 2017 until July 2023, when he reported to Cabanes.

CDPQ on Thursday said it was aware of the charges against its former employees. "Those employees were all terminated in 2023 and CDPQ is cooperating with the U.S. authorities," it said.

Reuters could not immediately reach Agarwal for comment.

** Deepak Malhotra was Director of infrastructure, South Asia, at CDPQ when he joined the board of Azure Power in 2019. He resigned from the board in 2023, along with Cabanes.

Reuters could not immediately reach Malhotra for comment.

** Rupesh Agarwal is currently a co-chair at Indian industry lobby group FICCI Renewable Energy CEO Council. From July 2022 to August 2022, the period mentioned in the indictment document, he was the Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer at Azure.

Reuters could not immediately reach Agarwal for comment.

(Reporting by Kashish Tandon, Hritam Mukherjee and Sethuraman NR in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Chopra)

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Oct 28 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• WELL POISED TO ACHIEVE 100+ MTPA CAPACITY BY MAR’25

Source text: ID:nBSE8kr3Nj

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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Oct 22 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• ACQUIRES 37.90% OF ORIENT CEMENT FOR 395.40 RUPEES PER SHARE

• ACQUISITION OF ORIENT CEMENT

• ACQUIRES 8.90% OF ORIENT CEMENT FOR 395.40 RUPEES PER SHARE

• ADANI ACQUIRES ORIENT CEMENT AT 81 BILLION RUPEES EQUITY VALUE

• ACQUISITION OF 37.90% STAKE OF ORIENT CEMENT

• ACQUISITION WILL BE FULLY FUNDED THROUGH INTERNAL ACCRUALS

• DEAL FOR 395.40 RUPEESPER SHARE

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSE592Tlb

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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Oct 9 (Reuters) - Ambuja Cements Ltd ABUJ.NS:

• GETS TAX ORDER OF 5.7 MILLION RUPEES, PENALTY OF 573,602 RUPEES

Source text for Eikon: ID:nBSEb6jLNS

Further company coverage: ABUJ.NS

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Oct 7 (Reuters) - Dealmaking in India's cement sector is in the spotlight again, after a report said Adani Group is in talks to buy the local operations of Germany's Heidelberg Materials HEIG.DE in a deal that could be worth about $1.2 billion.

Billionaire Gautam Adani's conglomerate is locked in a fierce battle with UltraTech Cement ULTC.NS as the rivals snap up smaller firms in a bid to capitalise on expectations of heavy government spending on infrastructure.

Here is a timeline of some of the major deals announced in the sector since Adani's foray in 2022:

ADANI GROUP-HOLCIM AG, MAY 2022: Adani Group entered the Indian cement sector by buying Ambuja Cements ABUJ.NS and ACC ACC.NS from Swiss construction material giant Holcim HOLN.S for $10.5 billion.

The deal remains the country's biggest in the cement sector.

DALMIA BHARAT-JAIPRAKASH ASSOCIATES, DEC. 2022: Dalmia Bharat DALB.NS bought cement and other assets of Jaiprakash Associates JAIA.NS for $687 million to strengthen its presence in India's central region.

SAGAR CEMENTS-ANDHRA CEMENTS, FEB. 2023: A company tribunal approved Sagar Cements' SGRC.NS $9.20 billion bid to take over Jaypee Group-owned Andhra Cements ANDC.NS.

AMBUJA CEMENTS-SANGHI INDUSTRIES, AUG. 2023: Ambuja Cements bought a 83% stake in debt-laden Sanghi Industries SNGI.NS for $295 million in August 2023 - Adani Group's first major deal after U.S. short seller Hindenburg's report in January of the year.

ULTRATECH CEMENT-KESORAM INDUSTRIES, NOV. 2023: UltraTech bought cement assets of Kesoram Industries KSRM.NS in a $645 million deal to boost its hold in the country's southern region.

AMBUJA CEMENTS-PENNA CEMENT INDUSTRIES, JUNE 2024: Ambuja bought out Penna Cement Industries PENC.NS in a $1.25 billion deal. The deal likely lifted Ambuja to among the top three players in south India, analysts have estimated.

ULTRATECH CEMENT-INDIA CEMENTS, JULY 2024: UltraTech inked a deal worth $472 million to gain control of India Cements ICMN.NS, after initially buying a 23% stake for $228 million.

(Reporting by Hritam Mukherjee in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)

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