Nuvoco inaugurates 2 MMTPA Limla unit in 2026

What happened in Surat

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. inaugurated its Limla Cement Plant (LCP) in Surat, Gujarat, marking the start of a 2 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA) cement grinding unit at the site. The inauguration was dated July 11, 2026, and was positioned by the company as a milestone linked to its takeover and revival of Vadraj Cement Limited (VCL). VCL is now a wholly owned unit referenced in the provided text as part of Nuvoco’s operating footprint. The Limla start-up expands Nuvoco’s manufacturing network in Western India and is expected to support a phased volume ramp-up in Gujarat. The company also said the plant will help it serve adjoining markets in Western Maharashtra. Another stated operational benefit is that it can release cement capacity that was earlier being supplied from the company’s Northern plants, allowing those Northern units to focus on North India markets.

How the Vadraj Cement acquisition fits in

Nuvoco linked the Limla inauguration to its acquisition of Vadraj Cement Limited, which was undergoing a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP). According to the provided text, Nuvoco completed the acquisition by discharging consideration of ₹1,800 crore in June 2025. Separately, the text also states that in April 2025, the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), Mumbai, approved a resolution plan under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) for Nuvoco to acquire Vadraj Cement Ltd. for ₹1,706 crore.

Post-acquisition, Nuvoco said it undertook revival, refurbishment, and expansion across both Vadraj sites, culminating in the Limla facility launch. The company highlighted that the grinding unit project at Limla achieved completion ahead of schedule. The Limla plant is one of the key manufacturing facilities of Vadraj Cement Limited and is located in Surat district.

Capacity details and product portfolio at Limla

The key operational announcement was the successful inauguration of 2 MMTPA grinding capacity at the Limla Cement Plant. The company said the facility will manufacture its complete portfolio of cement products: Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), Portland Slag Cement (PSC), Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), and Portland Composite Cement (PCC). It will also offer Nuvoco’s Duraguard range, including the premium offering Nuvoco Duraguard Microfibre.

This capacity addition is framed as a step to increase scale and market reach, specifically in Western India. The Hindi text in the provided material also reiterates that the Limla plant’s new grinding capacity is 20 lakh tonnes per year (2 MMTPA) and that VCL began this new capacity on July 11, 2026.

Vadraj assets in Kutch and Surat

The provided text describes VCL’s asset base as including a clinker plant in Kutch and a grinding plant in Limla, Surat. Another capacity breakdown in the same material states that VCL has a clinker unit of 3.5 MTPA in Kutch, and a cement unit of 6 MTPA located in Surat. These figures provide the context for why Nuvoco is focusing on refurbishing and operationalising assets in both Kutch and Surat districts.

Target capacity: 35 MMTPA by FY2028

Nuvoco reiterated its longer-term capacity ambition alongside the Limla announcement. The company said that upon full operationalisation of Vadraj Cement’s assets, nearly 40% of Nuvoco’s total cement capacity will be contributed by cement plants located in the North and West regions. It added that this strengthens its manufacturing footprint and improves access to high-growth markets.

Nuvoco also stated it is positioning itself to consolidate total cement capacity to 35 MMTPA by FY2028. The Hindi text also mentions a similar goal, stating the company aims to increase total production capacity to 3.5 crore tonnes by FY2027-28.

Enforcement Directorate asset restoration linked to IL&FS case

Separately, the provided text includes a legal and enforcement development linked to Vadraj’s Surat cement plant. In the IL&FS case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) returned assets worth ₹952 crore that were earlier attached during a money laundering probe to Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Ltd. The restoration was ordered by the Special Court (PMLA), Mumbai, on June 25, 2025, after the ED submitted a no-objection certificate.

The text says the restored assets include the Surat Cement Plant of Vadraj Cement Ltd. (formerly ABG Cement Ltd.), which was attached by the ED in January 2020 for its alleged role in a ₹952 crore fraud linked to Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Ltd. It also states that the court order was passed under Sections 8(7) and 8(8) of the PMLA, along with Rule 3A of the PML (Restoration of Property) Rules, 2016. The court directed the ED to prepare a detailed inventory before transfer and asked Nuvoco to furnish an undertaking to return or compensate for the property’s value if ordered in the future.

Capex and restart plans mentioned in the text

The provided material also mentions a plan to set up a new grinding unit of 2 MTPA capacity in Kutch as part of refurbishing and operationalising Vadraj’s assets. This move was stated to add an estimated ₹300 crore to an original plan of spending ₹1,200 crore to restart cement assets in Kutch and Surat districts. Another line in the same text says the company would invest ₹900-1,200 crore on VCL in the next 18-24 months.

These figures are presented as part of the broader restart and refurbishment effort around acquired assets, alongside the commissioning of the Limla grinding capacity.

Key facts at a glance

Market impact: what changes operationally

The Limla grinding unit strengthens Nuvoco’s presence in Gujarat and supports servicing demand in adjoining Western Maharashtra, as stated in the text. By shifting part of the supply closer to Western markets, Nuvoco expects to reduce the need to route cement from its Northern plants into Western markets. The company framed this as a way to release capacity for Northern plants to serve North India markets more exclusively.

From a capacity mix standpoint, Nuvoco’s statement that nearly 40% of total cement capacity would come from North and West regions upon full operationalisation of Vadraj assets signals a planned rebalancing of manufacturing footprint. The FY2028 capacity target of 35 MMTPA provides an anchor for investors tracking capacity-led expansion, but the text does not provide interim milestones beyond the Limla commissioning.

Why the Limla milestone matters

The Limla commissioning combines two themes present in the provided material: capacity creation and asset resolution. The capacity addition is a tangible output of the post-acquisition revival, while the ED restoration order, as described, addresses an enforcement attachment that covered the Surat cement plant. Together, these developments reduce operational uncertainty around the Surat asset and align with Nuvoco’s stated plan to expand in Western India.

The company also highlighted the product breadth at Limla, spanning OPC, PSC, PPC, and PCC, alongside the Duraguard range, indicating that the plant is intended to support multiple demand segments rather than a single product line.

Conclusion and next items to watch

Nuvoco’s inauguration of a 2 MMTPA grinding unit at Limla in Surat on July 11, 2026 is positioned as a key step in reviving and scaling Vadraj Cement assets acquired through CIRP. The company has reiterated its plan to reach 35 MMTPA cement capacity by FY2028 and expects the Gujarat facility to support phased ramp-up and better regional servicing.

For corporate communication, the provided text lists the contact email as india.communications@nuvoco.com.