Nalco net profit flat at Rs 444 crore

State-run Nalco, on Friday reported a marginal 1.08 per cent increase in its net profit at Rs 444.46 crore for the second quarter ended September 30, 2008, on the back of expensive coal imports.

The public sector aluminium and alumina producer had a net profit of Rs 439.73 crore in the September quarter last year.The total income rose 12.36 per cent to Rs 1,654.50 crore for the quarter, from Rs 1,472.54 crore in the year-ago period.

“Our total income has increased in this quarter but the production cost also went up by over Rs 150 crore primarily on account of coal imports,” Nalco CMD C R Pradhan said.