Aluminium Association of India pitches in for the domestic Aluminium Industry

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 proposal.

The appeal to impose a safeguard duty on primary aluminium metal. This will help in hedging the domestic manufacturers against the high volatility of the LME price index, increased logistics cost etc.
In spite of the current GDP contribution of 11% in the Mining & Quarrying sector, the aluminium industry has not been included in the list of Core Industries and the Harmonized list of Infrastructure. This has led to the industry missing out on the needed financial aid by the RBI and benevolent schemes aimed at the core industries. An appeal to include the aluminium sector in Core Industries & Harmonized List of infrastructure has also been raised.
Revaluation of the anti-dumping duty on Caustic Soda Lye which is a raw material for aluminium production. Presently, there is a high duty on the raw material which is impacting the cost of production for domestic aluminium. An appeal has been made to exclude the domestic primary aluminium manufacturers from this high duty.

As a representative body of the domestic manufacturers, if AAI is successful in achieving its proposals, the aluminium industry in India is sure to bounce back on its feet yet again.

*What do you think about the proposals? Be sure to mention you opinions in the comments below

Comments

Aluminium in guitars – It's all music to our ears

Think of a guitar and the classic wooden version comes to mind. There are hundreds of types and they come in all shapes and sizes. Some passionate players even go for custom made guitars just to suit their movements and taste. The simple guitar is still evolving with newer uses of the instruments in concerts and other forms of music. The use of wood in the body and the neck of a guitar is not going to cease in a long time. However, the use of other selected materials by modern guitar manufacturers has significantly improved the sound quality and handling of the guitars. “Manufacturers were making custom guitars from solid billeted aluminum. I was still in graduate school and couldn’t afford such instruments. So I decided to make a competitively priced guitar. Instead of wood or plastic, I opted to use 0.080-in. aircraft-grade aluminum sheet metal because of its quality and durability,” says the then-future CEO of Normandy Guitars. Aluminium Guitar The use of Alumin

Aluminium extrusions - The ultimate value addition of Aluminium downstream

From simple paper clips to complex pieces used in advanced technology, aluminium extrusions are created in various shapes and sizes for value added end use utilizations. The computer you are using right now contains at least one aluminium profile in the form of a heat sink. This takes advantage of aluminium’s excellent thermal conductivity, unique anodising capability and freedom of design to keep your computer’s processor cool. Different cross sections of extrusions Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile. A special tool called a ‘die’ is used to create these extrusions by cutting or shaping the material with the help of a press. These dies are customized to create the wanted design. The process involves the pressing of a pre-heated solid cylinder of aluminium (billet) which is forced through the die opening. The billets are heated to a temperature range of 350 – 500 degrees Celsius. Aluminium does not glow when heated ye

The choice is clear - Aluminium body for high end smartphones

A lot of phone companies are trying to build slim and sturdy phones for the ever growing market of steroid enhanced hardware capabilities. With phone manufacturers stuffing more RAM and precision cameras in the modern phones, the weight and robustness of the frames becomes all the more important. Today, some manufactures prefer a fiber body to reduce the overall weight in comparison to metal bodies. However, there’s something which still draws a larger advocacy of using aluminium bodies instead of a plastic or fiber. In 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs penned an open letter highlighting changes to the company's environmental policy in hopes of achieving "a greener Apple." In the letter, Jobs specifically noted the Mac maker's adoption of aircraft-grade aluminum in order to improve recycling uptake. Apart from the cost reduction implications, Apple is strongly in favor of aluminium usage in all its products for improving its year on year recycling capabilities with

Humble Aluminium cans or sculpted masterpieces?

Have you ever spared a thought about what happens to the humble aluminium can after its purpose is done? Do we hear you say “they’re recycled and reused!?” Well, of course, you’re correct. But in its afterlife, some aluminium cans get converted into beautiful sculptures and serve a higher purpose. Behold these beautiful Aluminium masterpieces created by the Detroit-born artist Noah Deledda! Courtesy: 1 Fuzz Courtesy: My Modern Met Courtesy: WOSU Courtesy: The Inspiration The interesting fact about these creative and exquisite pieces of sculptures is – Noah creates them with his bare fingers! "Through sculpture, I try to create something unique out of an ordinary object," says Noah, “My goal, and reason for ever making art is to raise awareness of the importance of the creative process. This drives me to create work that challenges perception and inspires curiosity.” To begin with, he removes the outer paint / commercial sticker

Lamborghini's raging Super SUV URUS - a balance of power and weight

This is unlike any Lamborghini automobile ever! An SUV from the company who produces supercars made from the blood of raging bulls? Of course, they are calling it the world’s first Super Sports Utility Vehicle – a fact we can’t deny given the super specs on the automobile and Lamborghini’s signature design. Will this animal from Lamborghini’s bullpen deliver on the brand’s promise? Let’s find out! From the outside, the vehicle sports the signature of Lamborghini’s extreme design yet finds a way to make it less aggressive for the owners who just want to buy milk on a cold Monday morning from the nearest market. However, on the inside, it’s still a beast. The front hood houses the 4 litre V8 twin-turbo engine with 650 HP and 850 Nm of torque. Acceleration from 0-100 km/h is achieved in just 3.6 seconds and the top speed is a staggering 305 km/h! Braking is no less impressive: the Urus decelerates from 100 km/h to 0 in 33.7 meters. The vehicle is 4-wheel steering with carbon-c

Aluminium - Enriching A Billion Lives

Search This Blog