Aluminium - Enriching A Billion Lives

It is quite interesting what you’ll find on forums hosted by Tesla Motors. Innovation is the DNA of the company which compels it to place value on experimentation and improvement. In a similar forum where the discussions took a turn on cutting down the weight of a car and thus reduce the expenditure of energy from the batteries, the use of aluminium was heavily stressed upon. Its weight is much lesser than steel and can carry a lot more stress. Initially, aluminium was mostly used in making the high end cars like the Audi A8. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Land Rover, Jaguar all followed suit after learning the versatility of the metal. But of late, its applications have found way into mass market models like the Ford F150 truck. Audi can afford to include the best of all the worlds in a single car and mark its price up at high premium. But Ford’s insight and courage to make a near  100% aluminium F150 model, a mass market model which has persistently been the highest selling vehic

We all know that cheap imports from China is hurting the domestic aluminium manufacturers the most. But how exactly? And how can this be countered to ensure that the Indian market does not suffer? Let us break it down for you in a simple manner.  Before we begin, let us know about the Safeguard Duty. To safeguard the financial interests of any injured industry in India, the government can introduce a temporary duty (superior to import duty) if it sees a sudden surge in imported goods. This is called Safeguard Duty and is independent of Free Trade Agreements with any country. A  20% duty on imported steel has already been imposed in favour of the steel industry and thus offered relief to the all the domestic steel manufacturers.But this has not been revised for the Aluminium sector in a long time. OK! Show me the numbers! Currently, there is no Safeguard duty for the domestic industry. Cheap exports by China is wreaking havoc on the national aluminium manufacturers. Comb

In an effort to give a shot in the arm to the ailing domestic aluminium industry, the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) has taken a significant step forward by opening a dialogue with the federal government of India. The aluminium industry in India is going through turbulent times and the domestic manufacturers are bearing the brunt of the downturn in the global commodity cycle which has been further aggravated by huge imports from China & Gulf countries. This can also be attributed to the steady rise in imports, falling aluminium prices and increasing production costs. The industry is presently struggling with a debt of about Rs. 70,000 crores in the domestic scenario which has seen a massive investment to the tune of Rs. 1.2 lac crores in the past few years. The volatility of the LME prices have also abetted in the financial crisis that the aluminium industry is currently facing. In the face of these odds, the AAI has sought help from the government on a three point

On June 5 th this year, people from all around the world showed their solidarity for necessary environment interventions by celebrating the World Environment Day. As individuals, we might think that our efforts don't get due recognition or is not making any significant impact towards the cause. But what about the power of the collective? When people join hands and help each other, that’s when it outshines the mere objective of just ‘caring’ about a cause. In such an example, Vedanta, in its solemn effort to contribute towards the cause planted 4500 saplings in Lanjigarh and Jharsuguda – the places of their operations in Odisha. Since the past 13 years, it has made a conscious effort to be responsible for caring and nurturing the environment of which it is also a part of. Local communities, fauna & flora, water bodies and other entities which constitutes the biodiversity of the region have always been recognised and respected by the company. Awareness camps, environment a