Vedanta Aluminium eyes global leadership in billet market

Time of India

20 hours ago

Vedanta Aluminium
has set out on a bold path to establish itself as India's go-to source for billets, with a firm eye towards becoming the industry leader globally. The company is strategically expanding its production capacity to meet growing domestic and international.
'With a casting capacity of 580 kilotonnes per annum, we are currently India's largest producer and exporter of
high-quality aluminium billets
. Our market share in India is 47 per cent, with a 40 per cent share in the primary billets segment. As we expand our capacity to 670 kilotonnes per annum and aim to scale billet production to 1.2 million tonnes per annum in the long term, we aspire to become the world's largest billet producer," said Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Vedanta Aluminium, while discussing the company's strategic roadmap.
The company is also actively expanding the value-added product (VAP) portfolio, targeting a VAP share of 90 per cent.
"Billets are projected to account for half of the additional VAP output, with their share in total
aluminium production
increasing from 20 per cent to 35 per cent," noted Kumar.
Driving product innovation with sustainability
In recent years, Vedanta Aluminium has been pushing the boundaries of performance innovation while deeply integrating sustainability into its operations.
'We are investing in advanced manufacturing capabilities, proprietary alloy development, and process innovation to serve high-growth sectors such as aerospace, automotive, construction, renewable energy, and electric vehicles (EVs),' said Kumar.
This effort includes scaling up production of billets, primary foundry alloys, rolled products, and wire rods, all supported by automation and cutting-edge casting technologies. A key initiative to enhance customer experience is the company's e-commerce platform, Vedanta Metal Bazaar, which is designed to streamline sourcing, logistics, and technical support.
On the sustainability front, Vedanta's flagship product lines, Restora and Restora Ultra, are manufactured using renewable energy and recycled materials, resulting in a significantly lower carbon footprint than the global industry average.
'Restora and Restora Ultra are central to our commitment to enabling a low-carbon industrial future,' said Kumar. 'Restora Ultra, in particular, is produced from recovered aluminium dross, offering an even lower carbon footprint and embodying circular economy principles.'
These products, available in multiple formats, help downstream partners in heavy manufacturing, automotive, infrastructure, and renewable energy sectors to reduce Scope 3 emissions without compromising on quality.
The Vedanta Group company's waste-to-wealth programme has achieved 113 per cent fly ash utilisation, with by-products like red mud being repurposed for agricultural use. The company is also recovering high-purity graphite from waste streams for use in lithium-ion batteries.
Meeting the needs of high-growth sectors
Demand from EVs, renewable energy, and infrastructure is surging, and Vedanta Aluminium is aligning its production and innovation capabilities accordingly.
'We are ramping up production of products specifically designed for applications in solar panel frames, EV components, aerospace, defence, and modern infrastructure,' said Kumar.
'Through our Vedanta Spark initiative, we have partnered with more than 70 startups, deploying over 100 projects that integrate AI, robotics, IoT, and smart safety solutions to enhance manufacturing efficiency and sustainability, he added.
Vedanta also produces specialised alloys, such as crash-resistant alloys for EVs, high-strength alloys for infrastructure, and lead-free, high-machinable alloys for sustainable applications.
Championing 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'
The company's Aluminium Vision document outlines its ambition to make India a global aluminium hub by 2047. The company is working on developing new product lines to cut down on imports.
'We are strongly aligned with India's 'Make in India' and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' missions. With over 3,000 global applications of aluminium, India has tapped into only around 300. Vedanta is bridging this gap by developing new product lines domestically and fostering innovation to reduce import dependency," noted Kumar.
The company already has a presence in 60 countries, and it aims to expand its presence further as global aluminium demand is projected to rise by 40 per cent by 2030.