Adani pledges shares of ACC, Ambuja Cements worth about $12.5 bn

Adani Group has pledged shares worth about $12.5 billion in two cement units, days after the conglomerate controlled by billionaire Gautam Adani completed the purchase of stakes in those businesses from Switzerland's Holcim.

The pledged shares of ACC and Ambuja were worth around Rs 989.46 billion based on Monday's closing prices and accounted for a 57 per cent stake in ACC and a 63 per cent stake in Ambuja Cements.

Deutsche Bank AG's Hong Kong branch, which is the agent for the pledged shares in ACC and Ambuja, made the disclosure in filings to India's stock exchanges.

The group in May announced the acquisition of Holcim's cement businesses in India for $10.5 billion to become the country's No. 2 cement manufacturer.

After the completion of the deal, Adani said on Saturday that production capacity at the cement units was expected to double by 2027.

Adani, the world's second-richest man after Elon Musk, has made inroads into several sectors this year, ranging from media companies to cement giants, in a deal-making spree that has raised concerns about his group's debt levels.