Hindalco to Invest Rs 45,000 Cr in Aluminium, Copper Businesses

Mumbai, Mar 20 (PTI) Hindalco will be investing Rs 45,000 crore across its aluminium, copper and speciality alumina businesses in the future, Aditya Birla group chairman Kumarmangalam Birla said on Thursday.

Speaking at an event to unveil a new brand identity for Hindalco, Birla said the company wants to be a force for good and affirmed the country's largest aluminium producer's commitment towards it.

"...we are committing Rs 45,000 crore across the aluminum, copper and specialty alumina businesses to deliver both upstream as well as next gen, high precision engineered products," Birla said at the event.

Aluminium, copper, and alumina are integral to solar modules and battery storage, Birla said, without spelling out a timeline for the investment.

Birla said the company is adding 150 MW to its renewable energy capacity to take the overall generation possibility to 350 MW.

The company has "pioneered" a 100-MW renewable energy solution in Odisha for aluminium smelting, combining wind, solar, and pumped hydro storage for stable, round-the-clock energy, Birla said.

The company is working on solutions in different areas, including EV mobility, renewable energy, energy storage, semiconductors, and high-end electronics, Birla said.

In auto, Hindalco is enabling lighter, more fuel-efficient, and EV-ready vehicles, and has helped design and manufacture lightweight battery enclosures for two-wheeler and cars, he said.

The company is setting up India's first Copper Foil facility for EVs, and also looking at high-speed transportation sector, Birla said, pointing that the first hyperloop test track has Hindalco's high-precision aluminium extrusions.

It is also developing hard alloy products for defence and working with ISRO on one-of-a-kind components for Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan.

Birla Copper is setting up India's first e-waste recycling plant, extracting and recycling metals from discarded devices, the head of the conglomerate said.

Hindalco runs 52 plants across the world and employs 47,000 people, Birla said.