Amara Raja Batteries Limited is the technology leader and one of the largest manufacturers of lead-acid batteries for both industrial and automotive applications in the Indian storage battery industry
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. In India, Amara Raja is the preferred supplier to major telecom service providers, telecom equipment manufacturers, the UPS sector (OEM & Replacement), Indian Railways and to the Power, Oil & Gas, among other industry segments. The Company supplies automotive batteries under OE relationships to Ashok Leyland, Ford India, Honda, Hyundai, Mahindra & Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki, and Tata Motors. The company's Industrial and Automotive Batteries are exported to various countries in the Indian Ocean Rim. It provides installation, commissioning and maintenance services. The leading automotive and industrial battery brands of the Company are Amaron, PowerZone, Power Stack, AmaronVolt and Quanta.
Amara Raja Batteries Limited was incorporated in February, 1985 as a Private Limited Company. The Company got converted into Public in the year 1990. In May 1992, they designed and implemented the most advanced battery manufacturing facility in India. In December 1997, they signed a joint venture agreement with the Johnson Controls Inc, USA for the import of technology for the manufacture of Automotive (SLI) batteries.
In the year 2000, the company launched Amaron automotive batteries. In the year 2002, they launched Quanta UPS, Amkaron Hiway and Harvest batteries. In the year 2004, they launched Amaron PRO, GO, and FRESH automotive batteries. The company has increased the production capacity of VRLA Storage Batteries during the financial year 2003-04 by 150000 Nos and with this expansion, the total capacity has increased to 1275000 Nos. The company further increased the production capacity by 500000 Nos during the year 2004-05, by 825000 Nos during the year 2005-06.
During the year 2006-07, the company has successfully completed the expansion of their 2V VRLA annual capacity from 240 million AH to 350 million AH. The Company also has enhanced their automotive (monobloc) battery capacity from 2.4 million units per annum to 3.60 million units per annum. Also, the company has announced aggressive capex plan contemplating an investment of Rs 2016 million.
During the year 2007-08, the company increased the capacity of automotive battery plant from 3.6 million units to 4.9 million units which includes additional capacity created in monobloc VRLA batteries. The company is investing an amount of Rs 650 million to expand the large VRLA battery capacity from 450 million Ah to 900 million Ah and this new facility is expected to commence their operation during the second half of the financial year 2008-09.
In May 2007, the company has launched a new retail store format 'Powerzone' to cater the growing need for better technology and better service at affordable price in the rural markets. They are offering a platter of products of global quality at local prices, right from automotive batteries, tractor batteries and home UPS, from the House of Amara Raja.
In May 2008, the company entered the two wheeler battery segment with the launch of Amaron Pro Bike Rider 2-wheeler batteries powered by VRLA technology with 60 months warranty. The company has also approved an investment of Rs 520 million to enhance the capacity of Industrial battery division.
In February 2009, the company tied up with car maker Maruti Suzuki India for retailing Amaron MGB (Maruti Genuine Battery) through Maruti Authorized service centres. In March 2009, the company tied up with Tata International for export of automotive batteries under the Amaron brand in African markets. In August 2009, the company launched POWER SLEEK - FTA batteries.
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 29 July 2010 approved capacity addition of 8 lakh in automotive batter unit and 18 lakh in the two-wheeler battery unit at a total capital outlay of Rs 53 crore.
In December 2010, the company unveiled Amaron Volt Hi-Life batteries for critical industrial applications. Also during the month, the company unveiled Amaron Sleek batteries for industrial applications.In May 2011, the company launched PowerZone 18 months warrant products.
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 13 February 2012 approved the capacity expansion at a new location at a capital outlay of Rs 190 crore.
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 28 May 2012 approved the proposal to sub-divide the equity shares of the company from the present face value of Rs 2 each to Rs 1 each.
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 14 August 2012 approved the expansion/setting up of a plant for manufacture of four wheeler batteries at a capital outlay of Rs 14 crore.
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 5 November 2012 approved the expansion/setting up of a plant for manufacture of two wheeler batteries at total capital outlay of Rs 99.80 crore
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 28 January 2013 considered and approved capex of Rs 440 crore to augment manufacturing capacities of Large VRLA and Four Wheeler batteries.
During the quarter ended 30 June 2013, Amara Raja Batteries' automotive batteries division commenced supplies of two wheeler batteries to Honda Motors India Limited for its plant in Karnataka.
On 22 January 2014, the company commissioned the modern and fully integrated MVRLA battery plant in a new location at Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The Brownfield capacity expansion project in large VRLA product line came on stream in February 2014.
The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 11 November 2014 approved an investment of about Rs 500 crore for setting up tubular batteries manufacturing plant (for Home UPS application) with a capacity of 1.44 million units per annum.
On 3 April 2015, Amara Raja Batteries announced that its four-wheeler automotive battery plant at Nunegundlapalle village, Bangarupalyam Mandal, Chittoor District (Unit II) with an installed capacity of 2.25 million units p.a. was commissioned on 26 March 2015. With this, the total capacity of the four-wheeler automotive battery plant is at 8.25 million units p.a.The Board of Directors of Amara Raja Batteries at its meeting held on 24 May 2016, in view of anticipatory growth in demand for two-wheeler batteries, reviewed a proposal for expansion of two-wheeler battery capacity to be implemented in four phases, staggered over a period of four years, which would on completion take the capacity from existing 11 million units per annum (p.a.) to 25 million units per annum. The Board approved setting up of necessary infrastructure for the entire expansion and first phase of expansion comprising of 3 lines which would take the capacity to 15 million units p.a. The Board had already approved at its meeting held on 19 March 2016 the expansion of four-wheeler battery capacity from 8.25 million units p.a to 11 million units p.a.
During the quarter ended 30 June 2016, the company's automotive batteries division started selling tubular batteries manufactured by the company.During the quarter ended 30 September 2017, the company introduced Amaron Brute Hi-Life batteries for motive power application to address a growing market segment.
On 19 December 2017, Amara Raja Batteries commissioned its two wheeler battery plant at the Amara Raja Growth Corridor in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The first phase of the plant which was commissioned will have a capacity of 5 million units. The plant will have an ultimate capacity of 17 million units with an estimated investment of Rs 700 crore, taking the total capacity for two wheeler batteries to 29 million.
During the FY2019, the manufacturing capacity in both 4 wheeler and 2 wheeler battery product lines has been further augmented to meet the growing market demand. The company also announced the establishment of a new green field automotive battery plant with a capacity of 6.5 Mn units with a capital outlay of Rs 700 crore. The company also signed a technology license agreement with Johnson Controls to use advanced stamped grid technology. A total Capital investment of Rs 540 crore is being made for the deployment of advanced stamped grid technology which will enable the company to offer high performance batteries to meet our customers' present and future needs.
During the year 2018-19,the Company incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary in the name and style of 'Amara Raja Batteries Middle East (FZE) (ARBME)' in Sharjah Airport International Free (SAIF) Zone.
During Nov' 2018, Johnson Controls International PLC (JC) sold its Power Solution business globally to Brookfield Business Partners LP, its affiliates and its co-investors. Consequently, JC and the Galla Family signed an agreement to terminate the shareholders agreements with effect from 01 April 2019. Consequent to the termination of the shareholders agreement, the other agreements i.e Investment Agreement, Technical Assistance Agreement and PowerFrame Technology License Agreement & Technology Collaboration Agreement stands terminated with effect from 01 April 2019.
The Company under the Technical Assistance agreement entered in the year 1997 with JC had fully absorbed all critical technologies over the years. Your Company entered into PowerFrame Technology license agreement in September 2018 from JC. The Company has received complete technology know-how and will continue to have license for manufacturing advanced stamped grid plate making technology under PowerFrame Technology license agreement.
The company received 'Gold award' in Indian Green Manufacturing Challenge (IGMC) Awards 2018 from International Research Institute for Manufacturing (IRIM) for the good manufacturing practices being followed in the Company.
During the FY2020, the company spent towards Capex amounting to Rs 272.66 crore.
During the fiscal 2020, the Company invested heavily in augmenting capacities. It added more lines at its two wheeler battery plant for serving the demand from OE alliances forged in 2019-20. A capacity enhancement project has been launched at its tubular battery unit to meet the demand for home UPS applications.
During the year 2019-20, 31,15,500 equity shares of Re 1 each constituting 1.82% of the paid up share capital of the Company held by Mangal Industries Limited (MIL) was transferred to RNGalla Family Private Limited (RFPL), pursuant to a scheme of arrangement between RFPL and MIL sanctioned by the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal, Hyderabad.
Further, during the year, RFPL acquired 34,16,250 equity shares of Re 1 each constituting 2% of the paid up share capital of the Company from M/s. Johnson Controls (Mauritius) Private Limited.
As on 31 March 2021, RFPL holds 4,79,32,452 equity shares of Re 1/- each constituting 28.06% of the paid up share capital of the Company, which is owned and controlled by the Galla Family headed by Dr. Ramachandra N Galla, Chairman of the Company.
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