Birlas exit Kesoram Industries

Kolkata, Dec 5 (PTI) B K Birla group company Kesoram Industries saw a churn in ownership on Friday as Frontier Warehousing Limited moved to acquire a controlling stake, marking the exit of the Birla family from the company after demerging and divesting its cement business to the Kumar Mangalam Birla-led UltraTech Cement earlier this year.

Shares of Kesoram jumped 19.85 per cent to Rs 6.52 after Kolkata-based Frontier Warehousing announced an open offer to buy 8.07 crore shares, or 26 per cent of the company, at Rs 5.48 apiece.

The offer follows a share purchase agreement under which Frontier Warehousing will acquire 13,29,69,279 shares from Kesoram's Birla-controlled promoter group entities at Rs 4 per share. The block, valued at about Rs 53 crore, represents 42.8 per cent of Kesoram's voting share capital - effectively completing the Birlas' exit from the company.

This transition comes months after UltraTech Cement absorbed Kesoram's cement division under a 1:52 share swap ratio. The scheme, effective March 1, 2025, finalised the transfer of the business under a composite arrangement dated April 1, 2024, leaving Kesoram focused on its non-cement portfolio.

After the demerger, Kesoram ceased standalone manufacturing operations and now operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Cygnet Industries, which houses its rayon, transparent paper and chemicals businesses. Its spun pipes and foundries unit in Bansberia, Hooghly, remains permanently closed or under suspension, while the rayon plant is also located in Hooghly district.

Kesoram Industries reported a consolidated net loss of Rs 25.87 crore in the September quarter of FY25, compared with a net loss of Rs 69.92 crore a year earlier. Net sales declined 6.03 per cent year-on-year to Rs 55.17 crore.

Frontier Warehousing is an unlisted company and is a leading logistics and storage solutions provider in the region. Management of Frontier was not available for comments. PTI BSM NN