Mines Minister launches vision documents for Aluminium and Copper

India plans scaling up domestic aluminium and copper production multi-fold by 2047 according to vision documents shared by Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy. An official statement said the Aluminium Vision Document targets scaling up aluminium output sixfold, raise bauxite capacity to 150 million tonnes per annum (MTPA), boost recycling, and promote green technologies.

The copper vision sets the course for meeting a sixfold rise in copper demand by 2047, with plans for 5 MTPA refining capacity by 2030, stronger recycling, and strategic global tie-ups, the statement added.

Reddy presented these documents during the international conference on sustainable and responsible mining through best mine closure practices. “The Mines Ministry is employing a philosophy of ‘6 R’s to mine closure activities.”


These are reclamation, repurposing, rehabilitation, revegetation, remediation, and relinquishment, Reddy added.

According to the copper vision document, Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) is the only domestic copper miner in India. However, with new copper blocks being auctioned, long-term domestic copper ore production is projected to reach about 21 MT, meeting only 4.6% of domestic concentrate demand.

“This limited domestic supply underscores India’s heavy reliance on copper concentrate imports, making the nation vulnerable to external market fluctuations,” the document said while adding these issues could leave India with few viable options to source copper, even from major exporters like Australia, Chile, Peru, and Zambia.

India should also consider investing in or establishing smelters and refineries abroad. This approach would secure a steady supply chain, enabling it to better manage supply disruptions arising due to resource nationalism and export ban of copper raw materials, the document added.

The aluminium vision document notes that India’s current domestic self-reliant Aluminium production capacity is 4.2 MT, while secondary capacity of 2.0 MT is largely dependent on imported scrap.

By FY47, secondary Aluminium production from domestic scrap is projected to reach an incremental 6 MTPA. “To meet the projected demand of 37 MTPA by FY47, there will still be a shortfall of 7 MTPA, the raw material for which will need to be met from international sources of bauxite or scrap or discovering more bauxite resources,” the document said while adding the process of transitioning 4.95 Billion Tonne of resources to proven reserves should happen on a mission-mode.