The Metals and Mining sector in India is expected to undergo major reforms in the next few years. Make in India Campaign, Smart Cities, Rural Electrification and a focus on building renewable energy projects under the National Electricity Policy and the rise in infrastructure development are some of the reforms to be brought to the sector.
India is the fifth largest producer of aluminium in the world and holds a massive quantity of bauxite reserves of about 3 billion tons. The country has a capacity to produce more than 2.7 million tons of aluminium per year. Production potential was projected to be about 10 million tonnes by 2020.
(HINDALCO) National Aluminium Company (NALCO), Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) are among the largest firms in the Indian aluminium industry. Being the third largest producer of zinc in the world, India’s zinc ore resources are estimated at 385 million tonnes. In 2019, India exported zinc and its products worth over US$ 600 million. In that same year, the volume of primary zinc that was exported from India was around 400 thousand metric tons.
Binani Industries and Hindustan Zinc Limited (recently transferred on a strategic sale to Sterlite Industries) are the two largest players in the industry.
Millions of years of weathering and natural gravity segregation have enriched heavy metals including Rare Earth Elements (REEs) into the Indian Ocean’s coastline. Almost the entire coastline of the Indian Ocean is enriched in “mineral sands” which contain industrial minerals used in high-performance alloys, paint, abrasive, filtration, sandblasting etc.
Incorporated in 1950 under the joint ownership of Travancore and the Government of India. Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL), is engaged in the mining and processing of mineral sands containing titanium, zirconium, thorium, and others. The IREL produces six heavy minerals namely ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite, sillimanite, and garnet as well as various value added products.
