Odisha to be Aluminium capital of India: Mines secy

Bhubaneswar: With more than half the bauxite reserves of the country and massive presence of Nalco, Hindalco and Vedanta, Odisha is soon going to be the Aluminium Capital of India, said Balvinder Kumar, secretary, Ministry of Mines.

Addressing the inaugural session of the national seminar on ‘Aluminium: The Strategic Metal’, organized by Aluminium Association of India (AAI) here, he said the Aluminium Development Council, as suggested by AAI president and Nalco CMD Dr Tapan Kumar Chand, shall be set up soon to strengthen the aluminium industry of the country. On AAI’s recommendation, the Mines ministry has asked the Railway ministry to charge freight for bauxite at par with limestone and include alumina in the non-metal segment, he said.

Complimenting Nalco for accepting the suggestion of the Centre to take up Jagannath Temple in Puri under the Swachh Bharat Mission, Kumar urged other aluminium players to adopt villages under open-defecation-free programme.

In his address, Chand said while the aluminium industry across the globe is passing through sluggishness, AAI is taking steps to strengthen the sector through various initiatives. He stressed on cost reduction, making the domestic market more vibrant and boosting the aluminium market through introduction of various value-added and high-end products.

Speaking on the occasion, RK Sharma, principal secretary, state Steel and Mines department, said there is vast scope for the aluminium industry in India at large and in Odisha, in particular.

The seminar is a precursor to International Conference on Aluminium (INCAL 2017), which will be held in Bhubaneswar in February next year.