Mysore Cements Limited
Mysore Cements Limited was an Indian cement producer whose operations later became associated with HeidelbergCement's Mycem and Diamond Cement businesses.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Mysore Cements Limited was an Indian cement manufacturer established in Karnataka in 1958–1959 as a public limited company by industrialist Sarangapani Mudaliar in collaboration with Kaisers USA. Its principal plant was located at Ammasandra in the former Tumkur district, now Tumakuru district, where the company benefited from nearby limestone deposits and railway access. The business initially focused on cement production and subsequently added clinker manufacturing and additional capacity. The company entered a period of expansion after control passed to Kaisers and the Birla group. Following the death of G. D. Birla, the Birlas became the controlling shareholders, and S. K. Birla became chairman in 1983. Under Birla ownership, Mysore Cements expanded beyond southern India. It developed facilities around Damoh in Madhya Pradesh and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, building a broader central and northern Indian production and distribution footprint. The company's northern operations were marketed in part under the Diamond Cement name. Ammasandra was modernized through investment in kilns and related infrastructure. The plant was eventually able to manufacture both cement and clinker, with reported products including 43-grade Portland slag cement and Portland pozzolana cement. The plant's proximity to limestone at Ramapura and its rail connection supported the movement of raw materials and finished products. Expansion at Damoh and Jhansi included clinkerization and grinding capacity, including a six-stage preheater kiln and a grinding unit commissioned in 1989. Mysore Cements reached a reported peak production capacity of approximately 2 million tonnes per year around 1990 and about 2.3 million tonnes per year by 2004. The company also experimented with sponge iron production from the mid-2000s, although the reference material describes that diversification as ultimately unsuccessful. In 2011, the company's plants were reported to have produced and sold approximately 2.81 million tonnes of cement, described in the source as a historical sales high. The business was also a significant local institution at Ammasandra. At its peak, it reportedly employed several thousand people and supported a hospital, an employee-state-insurance dispensary, housing, a low-cost ration society, educational facilities, recreation areas and other community infrastructure. Its school and pre-university college served employees and local residents. The company experienced labor and management disputes in the early 2000s, including protests concerning pay and employment conditions. The reference material also mentions environmental cases involving local governments in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. HeidelbergCement acquired control around 2006–2007. After the acquisition, the Mysore Cements name was replaced or supplemented by Mycem in some operations, while Diamond Cement remained associated with facilities and markets in Damoh and Jhansi. The historical company therefore survives primarily through successor brands and assets rather than as a clearly independent contemporary consumer-facing brand.
History
Mysore Cements Limited was created in Karnataka in 1958–1959 as a public limited cement company founded by Sarangapani Mudaliar with participation from Kaisers USA. Its core plant was established at Ammasandra, an industrial settlement in the Tumakuru region. The site had two important advantages: limestone resources were available relatively close to the plant, and railway infrastructure provided an efficient route for moving materials and cement. The company began commercial production in the early 1960s. The reference material records an initial investment of approximately 20 million rupees and production of roughly one million tonnes in 1962, although the historical unit descriptions in the source are not fully consistent. Kaisers and G. D. Birla subsequently took control, after which the business expanded its manufacturing base and increased output. By the end of the 1960s, the source reports capacity of approximately four tonnes per annum in its historical wording, but the precise intended unit is unclear. After G. D. Birla's death, the Birla group became fully controlling around 1983, with S. K. Birla appointed chairman. The Ammasandra works underwent modernization, including the installation and improvement of rotary kilns. From the early 1980s, the plant also produced clinker in addition to cement. Its product range later included Portland slag cement and Portland pozzolana cement, including 43-grade products. Mysore Cements then expanded into central and northern India. Plants and associated facilities were developed near Damoh in Madhya Pradesh and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh. A six-stage preheater kiln at Jhansi was commissioned in 1989, and a greenfield grinding unit was also completed that year. These investments supported clinker production, cement grinding and access to northern Indian markets, particularly Uttar Pradesh, where demand was substantial relative to local production capacity. The company reported strong growth during the 1980s and 1990s. The Damoh plant was clinkerized and expanded, while the Ammasandra facility operated several kilns and used rail-connected storage infrastructure. The reference material places total capacity at around two million tonnes per year in 1990 and approximately 2.3 million tonnes per year in 2004. Under the leadership of Nandalal Hamirwasia, president and managing director, and Nirbhaya Lodha, executive director, the company was described as producing roughly 1,500–2,000 metric tonnes of clinker per day at Ammasandra during its stronger period. Mysore Cements also played an important role in the local economy. The Ammasandra complex reportedly employed several thousand direct workers at its peak and provided housing, medical services, a hospital, an ESIC dispensary, a ration society, schools, a pre-university college, recreational facilities and other amenities. The company developed a school and college known as Mycemco Junior College and English School. These facilities made the plant more than a production site and helped shape the surrounding settlement. The early 2000s brought industrial relations problems. Conflicts between junior officers and management in 2001–2002 reportedly resulted in transfers, while wider employee protests concerned salaries and other workplace matters. The reference material says that some employees were dismissed and that certain services and benefits were reduced. The disputes affected educational facilities as well, including reported interruptions and delayed teacher payments. Local political intervention and state-government involvement were described as contributing to a later resolution. The business diversified into sponge iron production from approximately 2005. The initiative initially appeared promising but later encountered operational difficulties, including high water requirements and problems associated with dust during extraction. The reference material also mentions environmental litigation or regulatory cases involving company activities in several states. HeidelbergCement acquired Mysore Cements in 2006–2007. Following the transaction, the company name was changed or supplemented in parts of the business by Mycem, a HeidelbergCement-related brand. The Diamond Cement name was retained for operations in the Damoh and Jhansi regions. By this stage, many nontechnical functions were reportedly outsourced to contractors, while selected employees and technical staff remained. Later references describe capacity-expansion plans in central India, including increases in clinker and grinding capacity, but the available material does not establish the final implementation or the present legal status of Mysore Cements Limited as an independent company.
- 2011
Reported record cement sales
[1]The reference material reports cement production and sales of approximately 2.81 million tonnes during 2011.
- 2006
HeidelbergCement acquisition
[1]HeidelbergCement acquired control of Mysore Cements, beginning the integration of its operations into the HeidelbergCement India business.
- 2005
Sponge iron diversification
[1]Mysore Cements entered sponge iron production, a diversification that the source later characterizes as unsuccessful.
- 2004
Capacity reported at approximately 2.3 million tonnes
[1]The reference material reports that total capacity had increased to approximately 2.3 million tonnes per year.
- 1990
Reported capacity peak of two million tonnes
[1]The company's reported cement capacity reached approximately two million tonnes per year, placing it among India's larger cement producers at the time.
- 1989
Jhansi production expansion
[1]A six-stage preheater kiln and a new cement grinding unit were commissioned at Jhansi, strengthening the company's northern Indian manufacturing network.
- 1983
Birla control consolidated
[1]Following G. D. Birla's death, the Birla group became the company's controlling force and S. K. Birla became chairman.
- 1962
Early commercial production
[1]The Ammasandra operation began substantial cement production after an initial capital investment reported in the reference material at approximately 20 million rupees.
- 1958
Company established in Karnataka
[1]Mysore Cements was established as a public limited company by Sarangapani Mudaliar with collaboration from Kaisers USA.
Products and positioning
A regional Indian cement producer built around integrated clinker and cement manufacturing, limestone access, rail-linked plants and expansion from Karnataka into central and northern India.
Cement
Portland slag cement
A blended cement made with Portland clinker and granulated blast-furnace slag. Mysore Cements' Ammasandra operation was reported to produce 43-grade Portland slag cement for construction applications.
Cement
Portland pozzolana cement
A blended cement incorporating pozzolanic material. It formed part of the cement range associated with the Ammasandra operation and was supplied for general construction uses.
Cement intermediate · 1980
Clinker
The kiln-produced intermediate used to manufacture cement. Mysore Cements added clinker production at Ammasandra and expanded clinkerization capacity at its central and northern Indian facilities.
Iron and steel raw material · 2005
Sponge iron
A reduced iron product made directly from iron ore. Mysore Cements entered this business in the mid-2000s, but the available reference material says the diversification later proved unsuccessful.
Brand decisions
2006
HeidelbergCement acquisition and brand transitionM&ABackground
Mysore Cements had developed a multi-region cement network under historical Birla ownership, with operations in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Action taken
HeidelbergCement acquired control of the company and subsequently associated parts of the business with the Mycem and Diamond Cement brands.
Aftermath
The independent Mysore Cements identity became less prominent, while Mycem and Diamond Cement continued as successor or regional brand names in the available reference material.
2005
Entry into sponge ironStrategyBackground
The company sought to diversify beyond cement and clinker manufacturing.
Action taken
Mysore Cements began producing sponge iron from the mid-2000s.
Aftermath
The source describes the initiative as initially successful but ultimately unsuccessful because of water requirements and dust-related operating problems.
Recent events
- 2011
Mysore Cements reaches reported historical sales peak[1]
Other
The company's plants were reported to have produced and sold approximately 2.81 million tonnes of cement, described in the reference material as its highest-ever cement sales.
- 2006
HeidelbergCement takes control of Mysore Cements[1]
M&A
HeidelbergCement acquired control of Mysore Cements, beginning the transition of its operations and brands into the HeidelbergCement India portfolio.
- 2002
Labor disputes affect Mysore Cements operations[1]
Other
Disputes between management and employees included protests over salaries and working conditions, with reported dismissals and reductions in some employee benefits.
Environmental cases reported against company operations[1]
Regulation
The reference material states that local governments in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh filed cases concerning environmental pollution associated with company activities.
Sources3 sources
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