Nirma To Buy Soda Ash Producer

India's Nirma Ltd. said it is acquiring US natural soda ash producer Searles Valley Minerals for an undisclosed sum. In a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the soap and detergent maker said it will buy Searles Valley from an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners Inc. and other minority shareholders. RJ Joshipara, vice president of finance at Nirma, said the company was not in a position to disclose financial details due to US regulations. Nirma said its combined annual soda ash capacity will increase to over 2M/t, putting it among the top seven world producers of soda ash.