Birth Of Madras Cements Ltd: In the 1950s, investment in Cement Industry was not attractive due to price controls and the massive investments required. Only those entrepreneurs who were not profit-minded but cared for the country's development came forward to invest in the Cement Industry.
When Shri. Manubai Shah, Central Minister for Industries in late fifties came to Madras to meet the Industrialists, he called upon Shri P A C Ramasamy Raja and requested him to start a cement factory in TN. This was readily accepted by Shri PACR and this marked the birth of Madras Cements Ltd in 1961.
Concern for Investors: On the night of September 3, 1962, while the whole city slept, PAC Ramasamy Raja lay on his bed in the Madras General Hospital, seriously ill. As all his near and dear watched with tears in their eyes, PAC Ramasamy Raja summoned his son Ramasubrahmaneya Rajha to his bedside. "There is no more hope", he whispered, "You should take care of everything from now. My main concern is for Madras Cements. I have taken a lot of money as shares from well-wishers and I have not paid them back any dividends as yet. This has to be taken care of immediately". Those were his last words.
PACR's Dream Come True: PACR's last wish was dutifully fulfilled by the present Chairman Shri.P.R.Ramasubrahmaneya Rajah. Today, Madras Cements Ltd is not only one of the most respected cement companies in the country but also leads in giving the best return to the investors. With a cement capacity of 13 millions tons per annum, the company is the fifth largest producer of cement in India. It is also one of the largest wind energy producers in the country with a capacity of 185.59 MW.
Birth of Cement Plants: The first plant of MCL at Ramasamy Raja Nagar, near Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu, commenced its production in 1962 with a capacity of 200 tonnes, using wet process. In 70s, the plant switched over to more efficient dry process. A second kiln was also added to bring the total capacity to 15 lakh tons per annum. The second venture of MCL is its Jayanthipuram plant near Vijayawada in A.P., set up in 1987. The 36.50 lakh ton per annum plant employs the latest state-of-the-art technology.
The third venture of MCL is at Alathiyur in TN. It was set up in 1997 and expanded by addition of another line in 2001. The 30.50 lakh tons per annum plant is the most modern plant in the country.
Ariyalur plant started operations in 2009 with a capacity of 2 MTPA. It is well-equipped with modern quality control systems.
Other Ventures: In 2000, MCL acquired Gokul Cements situated in Mathod in Karnataka whose capacity is 2.90 lakh tons per annum. Being an eco-friendly company, MCL set up the Ramco Winfarm in 1993 at Muppandal in TN. This was followed by wind farms in Poolavadi near Coimbatore in 1995, Oothumalai in 2005 and in Mathod - the combined capacity of the wind farms is about 159 MW.
In the year 1999, MCL commissioned the most sophisticated Ready Mix Concrete Plant in Medavakkam in South Chennai. In 2002, a state-of-art Dry Mortar plant was commissioned near Sriperumpudur, Tamilnadu which manufactures dry mortar, cement based putty and tile fix compound.