The Indian Aluminium industry is rapidly expanding in both primary metal and downstream sectors. With the continuing trend of economic growth, the demand and consumption of Aluminium is expected to increase. Higher consumption levels are expected from building & Infrastructure; Transportation, Automotive and Roadways; Railways; Energy; Defence & Aerospace; Packaging; and Consumable Durables. India’s per capita consumption of Aluminium is too low at 1.8 kg when compared with the developed nations in North America & Europe (25 kg to 30 kg); Japan (15 kg); Taiwan (10 kg) and even China (17 kg) while the world average is 8 kg.
However, India is endowed with large deposits of high quality Bauxite ore (Aluminium’s primary source), amounting to almost 5 per cent of the world’s reserves, totalling about 3 billion tons. “Aluminium is versatile and India has the necessary resources to convert Aluminium into the most utilized metal in the country. We need to promote the use of Aluminium, as it is stronger and lighter than steel. This Technology Roadmap will help the industry, including primary aluminium producers to value-added downstream and secondary product manufacturers to fulfil the growing requirement for the metal,” said Prof K.S.S. Murthy, Honorary General Secretary, AAI.
The AAI had organized a one-day interactive meet to deliberate on the Technology Roadmap for the Indian Aluminium industry and it was attended by all the stakeholders concerned. “The Aluminium industry has enormous growth opportunities. India can be a global leader if we plan well in an integrated and holistic manner. The time has come for a paradigm shift. We need to develop India-specific products to promote the use of Aluminium. For this, the industry, government, academia and R&D sector should join hands,” said Prof Kamanio Chattopadhyay, President, Indian Institute of Metals and Chairman of Mechanical Science Division, IISc.
Most of the potential of Aluminium remains untapped and steel continues to remain unchallenged in India. For example, growth sectors such as packaging, automobile and infrastructure will benefit greatly from the usage of more Aluminium. Commenting on the Technology Roadmap, Mr. Vibhu Mushran, Adviser, Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council (TIFAC) remarked, “The Roadmap covers every topic of the sector in a holistic manner. We need to finalize this document with focus on actionable points. The TIFAC will extend complete support to the AAI in this regard.”
Dr. Pradip, Vice President, TCS; Chief Scientist & Head, Process Engineering Innovation Lab, Tata Research Development and Design Centre (TRDDC) & Chairman-Project Review & Monitoring Committee – TRM, pointed out that all other sectors, the Aluminium industry was also facing infrastructure-related challenges, such as, energy, land and water. “However, we need to find ways and means to overcome them. There is no doubt that the Indian Aluminium industry is facing a difficult period. But we should take advantage of this situation by implementing this Roadmap on a long-term basis,” he added.
According to the Technology Roadmap prepared by the AAI, Aluminium as a metal has applications in a variety of sectors – Transportation (passenger and Metro coaches) – already planned and in progress in Palakkad, Kerala; Automobiles and light trucks to reduce fuel consumption; aircraft and marine vehicles; Building / Construction / Architecture; Food Packaging; Power distribution (transmission lines) and Automotive components.
For instance, there is growing interest in the use of lighter alternatives in automotive sector to enhance fuel economy; acceleration performance, braking efficiency, road handling and reduce carbon emissions. In the developed nations, about 10 per cent of the vehicle mass on average consist of Aluminium alloys. Similar expectations hold for the future automotive use for Aluminium in India. A mass reduction of 30% to 50% can be obtained by substituting Ferrous-based materials with Aluminium, the Technology Roadmap reported.
Unlike other metals, Aluminium has high strength to weight ratio and density, which is 1/3rd that of steel. It is resistant to weather, atmospheric gases and liquids; its impact absorption and high elasticity is an added advantage in structures; is highly durable; is non-combustible and is a good thermal conductor.
“There are several recommendations in the Technology Roadmap to expand the scope of the use of Aluminium. After identifying the key sectors and examining the principal ventures, the draft Technology Roadmap will undergo several cycles of revisions through workshops and meetings before being present in the form of the pre-final draft document,” Prof. Murthy added.
Nearly 100 representatives of the Aluminium sector participated in the meet.
About AAI
Aluminium Association of India (AAI), Founded in 1981 and is registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, is the only Association representing entire spectrum of Indian Aluminium Industry– Primary Producers, Downstream Manufacturers, Equipment & Product Manufacturers, End-users, R&D Organisations. AAI is a well-recognized organization and is supported by the Government of India through the Ministry of Mines and is a member of International Body of Aluminium Associations.
www.aluminium-india.org
