Cementing Gains

In the middle of the coronavirus crisis, the ₹12,000-crore, Kolkata-based Shree Cement went ahead and cemented a partnership with one of India’s iconic football clubs — East Bengal Sporting Club — soon after it completed 100 years. Shree Cement picked up a 76 per cent stake in the club, which has since been renamed Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation. “We want to be associated with major activities of West Bengal,” says Shree Cement Managing Director Hari Mohan Bangur. “This is the right time to invest in a global sport like football.”