Saurashtra Cement Limited

Report on the Audit of Standalone Financial Statements

Opinion

We have audited the accompanying standalone financial statements of Saurashtra Cement Limited ("the Company"), which comprise the Balance Sheet as at March 31,2024, the Statement of Profit and Loss (including Other Comprehensive Income), the Statement of Changes in Equity and the Statement of Cash Flows For the year then ended on that date, and Notes to the standalone financial statements, including a summary of the material accounting policies and other explanatory information (herein after referred to as the "standalone financial statements").

In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the aforesaid standalone financial statements give the information required by the Companies Act, 2013 (herein after referred to as "the Act") in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the Indian Accounting Standards prescribed under section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, as amended, (herein after referred to as "Ind AS") and other accounting principles generally accepted in India, of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31,2024, and its Profit, total comprehensive income, changes in equity and its cash flows for the year ended on that date.

Basis for Opinion

We conducted our audit of the standalone financial statements in accordance with the Standards on Auditing (hereinafter referred to as 'Sas'), as specified under section 143(10) of the Act. Our responsibilities under those Standards are further described in the 'Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the standalone financial statements' section of our report. We are independent of the Company in accordance with the 'Code of Ethics' issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (hereinafter referred to as "ICAI") together with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the standalone financial statements under the provisions of the Act and the Rules made thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements and the ICAI's Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion on the standalone financial statements.

Key Audit Matters

Key audit matters are those matters that, in our professional judgment, were of most significance in our audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the standalone financial statements as a whole, and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters. We have determined the matters described below to be the key audit matters to be communicated in our report.

Information Other than the standalone financial statements and Auditor's Report Thereon

The Company's Management and Board of Directors are responsible for the preparation of the other information. The other information comprises the information included in the annual report but does not include the standalone and consolidated financial statements and our auditor's reports thereon. The annual report is expected to be made available to us after the date of this auditor's report.

Our opinion on the standalone financial statements does not cover the other information and we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon.

In connection with our audit of the standalone financial statements, our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the standalone financial statements, or our knowledge obtained during the course of our audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated.

If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

When we read the annual report, if we conclude that there is a material misstatement therein, we are required to communicate the matter to those charged with governance.

Responsibilities of management and those charged with governance for the standalone financial statements

The Company's Management and Board of Directors are responsible for the matters stated in section 134(5) of the Act with reference to the preparation of these standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view of the financial position, financial performance, total comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows of the Company in accordance with the Ind AS and other accounting principles generally accepted in India. This responsibility also includes maintenance of adequate accounting records in accordance with the provisions of the Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company and for preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities; selection and application of appropriate accounting policies; making judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent; and design, implementation and maintenance of adequate internal financial controls, that were operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the accounting records, relevant to the preparation and presentation of the standalone financial statements that give a true and fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the standalone financial statements, Management and Board of Directors are responsible for assessing the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless management either intends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

The Company's Management and Board of Directors are responsible for overseeing the Company's financial reporting process.

Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Standalone Financial Statements

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the standalone financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these standalone financial statements.

As part of an audit in accordance with SAs, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:

- Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the standalone financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion, forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

- Obtain an understanding of internal financial control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. Under section 143(3)(i) of the Act, we are also responsible for expressing our opinion on whether the Company has an adequate internal financial controls system in place and the operating effectiveness of such controls.

- Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management.

- Conclude on the appropriateness of management's use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor's report to the related disclosures in the

standalone financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor's report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Company to cease to continue as a going concern.

- Evaluate the overall presentation, structure, and content of the standalone financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the standalone financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

We also provide those charged with governance with a statement that we have complied with relevant ethical requirements regarding independence, and to communicate with them all relationships and other matters that may reasonably be thought to bear on our independence, and where applicable, related safeguards.

From the matters communicated with those charged with governance, we determine those matters that were of most significance in the audit of the standalone financial statements of the current period and are therefore the key audit matters. We describe these matters in our auditor's report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosure about the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances, we determine that a matter should not be communicated in our report because the adverse consequences of doing so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the public interest benefits of such communication.

Other Matters

The standalone financial statements for the year ended March 31, 2023, include the financial information of erstwhile Gujarat Sidhee Cement Limited (GSCL) pursuant to the scheme of amalgamation of GSCL with the Company approved by National Company Law Tribunal vide its order dated March 16, 2023 with January 1, 2022 as appointed date and effective from March 30, 2023. This financial information were audited by the auditors of erstwhile GSCL, whose report was furnished to us and was relied upon by us. We had audited the adjustments made by the management consequent to the amalgamation of GSCL with the Company.

Our opinion on the standalone financial statements, and our Report on other legal and regulatory requirements below, is not modified in respect of the above matter and our reliance on the work done by and the report of the other auditors.

Report on Other Legal and Regulatory Requirements

1. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act, based on our audit we report that:

a) We have sought and obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit.

b) In our opinion proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from our examination of those books, except for certain matters in respect of audit trail as stated in the paragraph 1(i)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014.

c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss including other comprehensive income, the Statement of Changes in Equity and the Statement of Cash Flows dealt with in this Report are in agreement with the books of account.

d) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financial statements comply with the Ind AS prescribed under Section 133 of the Act read with the Companies (Indian Accounting Standards) Rules, 2015, as amended.

e) On the basis of the written representations received from the directors as on March 31,2024, taken on record by the Board of Directors, none of the directors is disqualified as on March 31, 2024, from being appointed as a director in terms of Section 164(2) of the Act.

f) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financial controls with reference to the standalone financial statement of the Company and the operating effectiveness of such controls, refer to our separate report in Annexure A. Our report expresses an unmodified opinion on the adequacy and operating effectiveness of the Company's internal financial controls with reference to the standalone financial statements.

g) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with the requirements of section 197(16) of the Act, as amended, we report that, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the remuneration paid by the Company to its Managing Director and Executive Vice Chairman during the year is in accordance with the provisions of section 197 of the Act.

h) The reservation relating to the maintenance of accounts and other matters connected therewith are as stated in paragraph (b) above on reporting under Section 143(3)(b) and paragraph 1(i)(vi) below on reporting under Rule 11(g).

i) With respect to the other matters to be included in the Auditor's Report in accordance with Rule 11 of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014, as amended, in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us:

(i) The Company has disclosed the impact of pending litigations on its financial position in its standalone financial statements - Refer Note 34 to the standalone financial statements.

(ii) The Company did not have any long-term contracts including derivative contracts for which there were any material foreseeable losses.

(iii) There has been no delay in transferring amounts which were required to be transferred, to the Investor Education and Protection Fund by the Company.

(iv) (a) The management has represented that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, no funds (which are

material either individually or in the aggregate) have been advanced or loaned or invested (either from borrowed funds or share premium or any other sources or kind of funds) by the Company to or in any other person or entity, including foreign entity ("Intermediaries"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Intermediary shall, whether, directly or indirectly lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Company ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries;

(b) The management has represented, that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, no funds (which are material either individually or in the aggregate) have been received by the Company from any person or entity, including foreign entity ("Funding Parties"), with the understanding, whether recorded in writing or otherwise, that the Company shall, whether, directly or indirectly, lend or invest in other persons or entities identified in any manner whatsoever by or on behalf of the Funding Party ("Ultimate Beneficiaries") or provide any guarantee, security or the like on behalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries;

(c) Based on the audit procedures that have been considered reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances, nothing has come to our notice that has caused us to believe that the representations under sub-clause (i) and (ii) of Rule 11(e), as provided under (a) and (b) above, contain any material misstatement.

(v) The interim dividend declared and paid by the Company during the year and until the date of this audit report is in compliance with Section 123 of the Act.

As stated in Note 14.6 to the standalone financial statements, the Board of Directors of the Company has proposed final dividend for the year which is subject to the approval of the members at the ensuing Annual General Meeting. The dividend declared is in accordance with Section 123 of the Act to the extent it applies to declaration of dividend.

(vi) Based on our examination which included test checks, except for the instances mentioned below, the Company has used accounting softwares for maintaining its books of account, which have a feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility and the same has operated throughout the year for all relevant transactions recorded in the respective software:

i. The feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility was not enabled at the database level to log any direct data changes for the accounting software used for maintaining the books of accounts.

ii. The feature of recording audit trail (edit log) facility was not enabled, for a portion of the year in one of the accounting software used for maintaining books of accounts; the audit trail feature was enabled from June 15, 2023 for the tables related to financial information.

Further, where audit trail (edit log) facility was enabled and operated throughout the year, we did not come across any instance of audit trail feature being tampered with during the course of our audit.

As provision to Rule 3(1) of the Companies (Accounts) Rules, 2014 is applicable from April 1, 2023, reporting under Rule 11 (g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014 on preservation of audit trail as per the statutory requirements for record retention is not applicable for the financial year ended March 31, 2024.

2. As required by the Companies (Auditor's Report) Order, 2020 ("the Order") issued by the Central Government of India in terms of sub-section 11 of section 143 of the Act, we give in Annexure B, a statement on the matters specified in the paragraph 3 and 4 of the order.

For, Manubhai & shah LLP

Chartered Accountants Firm Registration No. 106041W /W100136

(K C Patel)

Partner

Place : Mumbai Membership No. 030083

Date : May 28, 2024 UDIN: 24030083BKBENC5851