Dalmia Bharat Sugar partners with Emaar founder for $132m Tanzania expansion

Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries has approved a $132 million integrated sugar project in Tanzania alongside UAE-based Symphony Global.

Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Limited has finalized plans to develop an integrated sugar production complex in Tanzania, marking a major international expansion for the Indian producer. The capital deployment for the project is estimated at $132 million and will be executed through Eagle Agrotech Tanzania Limited, an indirect subsidiary in which Dubai-based investment vehicle Symphony Global LLC holds a 49% equity stake. Symphony Global is led by Mohamed Ali Rashed Alabbar, the founder and chairman of Emaar Properties.

The greenfield project centers on establishing a sugarcane plantation initially spanning 10,000 hectares, with a strategic provision to double the agricultural footprint to 20,000 hectares to secure a localized, resilient supply of feedstock. Processing infrastructure built during the primary phase will yield an annual sugar manufacturing capacity of 70,000 metric tons, alongside a 20 MW cogeneration power facility. Long-term technical blueprints outline provisions to scale manufacturing output to 150,000 metric tons per annum and double power generation capacities to 40 MW.

This cross-border venture addresses a persistent structural supply deficit in East Africa, where regional sugar consumption consistently outpaces domestic output. By establishing a robust local production base, the project targets import substitution opportunities within Tanzania while establishing a commercial conduit to broader neighboring markets. Furthermore, the asset's secondary phase intends to leverage industrial by-products to transform the site into a multi-commodity bio-energy hub, aligning with rising global corporate demand for renewable energy and sustainable agricultural output.

For agricultural and energy investors, the partnership establishes a strategic template for public-private collaboration, blending Indian technical expertise in sugarcane processing with Gulf-backed capital and regional African networks. The phased scalability of the processing plant and power grid integration allows the consortium to mitigate early-stage execution risks while positioning the asset to capitalize on volatile regional commodity pricing. The structural transition toward value-added bio-energy processing underscores how traditional agribusiness assets are shifting toward diversified infrastructure platforms to guarantee long-term margin stability.

Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Limited is an India-based agribusiness enterprise engaged in sugar manufacturing, industrial alcohol distillation, and co-generation of power. Eagle Agrotech Holdings Limited operates as a 51% owned subsidiary of the company to drive its specialized agricultural development initiatives.