The Aditya Birla Group has entered the wires and cables market with the launch of Ultravolt, backed by an investment of ₹1,800 crore and plans to build one of the country’s top two players in the segment within five years.
Housed under UltraTech Cement Ltd, Ultravolt will be the second-largest player in the wires segment by capacity, marking the group’s fourth new business foray in three years.
Expands construction portfolio
The entry extends UltraTech Cement’s participation in the construction value chain beyond grey cement, ready-mix concrete, building products and white cement.
The move is part of UltraTech’s Building Solutions strategy and is aimed at tapping opportunities arising from home building, infrastructure development and electrification.
Central to India’s development
Aditya Birla Group, Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla, said, “Wires and cables are becoming central to India’s next phase of development. They sit at the intersection of three mega trends in the Indian economy – urbanization, electrification and digitization.”
“More than 100 million new homes over the next decade, expanding energy infrastructure, and the rapid rise of data centers are poised to fuel a boom in the category. Our distinctive advantage comes from a deep understanding of the product, its underlying components and the adjacent ecosystems,” he said.
Pan-India rollout planned
The company plans to reach more than one lakh retailers and activate availability through over 5,000 UltraTech Building Solutions (UBS) outlets.
Ultravolt will initially roll out across more than 500 districts and 6,000 pin codes, giving it a pan-India footprint from the outset.
Ultravolt, Director, Dilip Gaur, said, “We are venturing at pan India scale rather than testing the market region by region. Our plan is to reach more than one lakh retailers and further activate availability through over 5,000 UltraTech Building Solutions outlets.”
Manufacturing and distribution network
The business is anchored by a new manufacturing facility at Jhagadia in Bharuch district, Gujarat.
The company also has a network of more than 20 warehouses and plans to leverage UltraTech’s relationships with individual home builders, contractors, real-estate developers and EPC companies.
“Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, network of more than 20 warehouses, extensive channel connects coupled with UltraTech’s deep relationships with individual home builders, contractors, real-estate developers and EPC companies, and a pan-India distribution footprint gives us a strong platform to scale,” Gaur said.
Group eyes further expansion
Ultravolt, CEO, Sriram Rangarajan, said the company plans to expand its product portfolio over time.
“Over time, we plan to expand into a broader range of electrical accessories,” Rangarajan said.
Core part of strategy
Birla said the group’s ability to create new businesses has increasingly become a core part of its strategy.
“In recent years, successful new business creation has itself become a core part of the Group’s DNA and an important source of differentiation for the group. I increasingly see the Aditya Birla Group as providing the platform and engine for new bets,” he said.