Profit before tax soared to Rs 368 crore in Q2 September 2020 as against Rs 15 crore in Q2 September 2019. Total tax expense stod at Rs 136 crore in Q2 September 2020 as against a tax rebate of Rs 21 crore in Q2 September 2019.

EBITDA grew by nearly 48% to Rs 702 crore in Q2 September 2020 from Rs 475 crore in Q2 September 2019. The company said cement EBITDA margin increased by 900 basis points to 30% in Q2 September 2020. EBITDA per tonne rose 40% to Rs 1,457 crore in Q2 September 2020 over Q2 September 2019.

Dalmia's Bharat's sale volume rose 7.38% to 4.8 MnT in Q2 September 2020 from 4.47 MnT in Q2 September 2019. The company said it achieved volume growth on the back of demand from rural segment, pickup in government's infrastructure and low cost housing projects. The Eastern states continued to outperform with green shoots of demand revival visible in South in the latter part of the quarter. The company said it witnessed a seasonal weakness of cement prices during the quarter, especially in Eastern region.

The cement maker said it aims to strengthen the balance sheet and has a robust cash position, as it repaid close to Rs 246 crore of gross debt in Q2 September 2020. Net Debt to EBITDA ratio is now at 0.87x.

Commenting on company's performance, Mahendra Singhi, CEO & MD of Dalmia Cement Bharat said: "The strength of our company's foundation is visible in overall improvement in the operating metrics during the quarter and the half year. Our team has truly been instrumental to our success and we are completely geared up for a successful integration of the new capacity and ramping up its utilization levels. Our EBITDA at Rs 702 Cr is the highest ever for the company during a quarter."

Dalmia Bharat is a cement manufacturing company. Its segments include cement, refractory and power.