MP Birla Cement and Mohun Bagan Athletic Club come together

New Delhi [India], Dec 4 (ANI-NewsVoir): MP Birla Cement, the umbrella brand of the Cement Division of Birla Corporation Limited, flagship company of the MP Birla Group, will partner Mohun Bagan Athletic Club for the coming football season of 2017-18.

The relationship has started with the launch of Hero I-League on 21 November 2017. Mohun Bagan's big derby match against East Bengal will be on 3rd December 2017. The partnership will cover all tournaments that Mohun Bagan will play in the coming football season.

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club has a rich heritage and legacy, with huge fan following all over the country and even across the world. It stands for zeal, enthusiasm and energy, which are also the qualities M P Birla Cement stands for.

This tie-up is the first step in the world of sports for Birla Corporation Limited. An active participation in the world of sports is expected to drive visibility for the brand significantly amongst its target audience.

Commenting on the association, Sandip Ranjan Ghose, Executive President, Sales, Logistics and Marketing, Birla Corporation Limited, said: "Football enjoys popularity all over the country, particularly in the eastern region. To further boost the popularity of this heritage game, we have associated ourselves with Mohun Bagan Athletic Club, which also has a heritage hallow and enjoys a national presence."

Srinjoy Bose of Mohun Bagan AC welcomed the association and said: "We are proud of our association with MP Birla Cement. We welcome them on board. This association would benefit both the organizations and go a long way in furthering the cause of football in India."

Birla Corporation Limited

The Cement Division of Birla Corporation Limited has 10 plants in seven locations, Satna, Raebareli, Chanderia, Durgapur, Maihar, Kundanganj and Butibori. The total installed capacity of the 10 plants is about 15.5 million tons a year.

The company has acquired 100 percent shares of Reliance Cement Company Private Limited (Reliance Cement), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Limited. After this acquisition, Reliance Cement has become a wholly-owned material subsidiary of Birla Corporation Limited. This acquisition has provided Birla Corporation Limited with the ownership of high-quality assets.

Birla Corporation Limited is among the Top 10 cement manufacturers in the country, producing a full range of cement, including Portland Pozzolana Cement (PPC), Portland Slag Cement (PSC), Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and Sulphate Resistant Portland Cement.

All the plants of the Company have been extensively modernized, incorporating the latest state-of-the-art technology to manufacture cement of the finest quality for perfect construction. The improved grinding equipment produces fine grain cement for faster construction, saving time and money. The plants are ISO 9001:2000 certified, covering the entire range of production and marketing. The Cement Division has two high-ash coal-based captive power plants at Satna (27 MW) and Chanderia (29.8 MW) each.

More than 90% of the Company's sales turnover comes from its Cement Division alone. In 2016-17, the Company had a total turnover of Rs. 4,981 crores and of this Rs. 4,643 crore were contributed by the Cement Division alone.

Mohun Bagan Athletic Club was established in 1889 by Bhupendra Nath Bose and is the oldest existing football club in India. It plays in the I-League, the keenly contested domestic league of Indian football. It has won the coveted National Football League thrice and the I-League once. It is the most successful team in the history of the Federation Cup, having won the championship a record 14 times. The Club has also won several other trophies, which includes the Durand Cup (16 times), IFA Shield (22 times) and the Calcutta Football League (29 times). It contests the Kolkata Derby with long-time rivals East Bengal.

In its Centenary year in 1988, it was declared the National Club of India.

In 1911, Mohun Bagan Athletic Club created history by becoming the first Indian club to win the IFA Shield after having defeated East Yorkshire Regiment 2-1 on 29 July 1911. Most Mohun Bagan players played bare feet while East Yorkshire Regiment played with proper footballing equipment. This win was considered a landmark victory in the Indian freedom struggle. (ANI-NewsVoir)

This story has not been edited. It has been published as provided by ANI