The Aluminium Association of India (AAI), the apex body representing aluminium producers in India, has submitted its pre-budget representation to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under Ministry of Commerce, Government of India.

It emphasises aluminium’s crucial role in India’s continued growth, especially as the nation envisions becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. High aluminium usage is an established marker of advanced economies, given the metal’s extensive use in both present and futuristic applications. This has led several nations like USA, Malaysia and Indonesia to designate aluminium as a ‘strategic sector’.

As per industry estimates, India’s per capita consumption of aluminium is still around 3kg per annum, compared to the global average of 12kg. However, the sector is facing major challenges in attracting fresh investments, despite domestic demand for aluminium set to reach 10 MTPA by 2030. So far, the Indian aluminium industry has invested over USD 20 billion, to expand production capacity to 4.2 MTPA to meet the growing demand. However, a further investment of about USD 40 billion over the next 6 years will be needed to meet the expected demand of 10 MTPA, while also creating more jobs within India.

AAI states that given that aluminium is a strategic metal with extensive usage in defence, aerospace and sunrise sectors of renewables, electric vehicles, power transmission and sustainable infrastructure, it is paramount for India to be self-sufficient in aluminium production. Towards encouraging fresh investments, aluminium producers have requested the Central Government to safeguard the industry from surging imports.

The industry body states that over the past couple of years, imports of primary aluminium have doubled while there has also been a significant surge in low-quality scrap and downstream products, especially from China.

Industry members have highlighted that the influx of imports in the domestic market is a deterrent to making new investments in the sector, even when India has all the necessary ingredients to emerge as a global aluminium hub. According to them, the primary reason for the surge in imports is the low import duties on primary/downstream products and a prevalent duty difference between primary goods and scrap in aluminium. This is unlike other key non-ferrous metals, where the duty for scrap and primary is at par.

AAI states it is therefore requesting the Central Government to help ensure the nation’s self-sufficiency and attract new investments by increasing the import duty on primary/downstream products to 10 percent from the existing 7.5 percent. Additionally, to control cheap imports, the duty on aluminium scrap also needs to be set at 7.5 percent, at par with other aluminium products. This measure would encourage the recycling of domestic scrap and limit the influx of low-quality foreign scrap, helping strengthen the circular economy.

To ensure global competitiveness, it is essential that policies nurture a sustainable environment, fostering growth for the domestic industry while positioning India as a leader in the global market. This will provide some relief to the industry, already burdened by high tax and regulatory charges.

At present, the industry incurs around 17 percent of its cost of production in taxes, levies, and regulatory compliance charges. To ease this burden, the AAI has proposed an urgent rationalising of duties on crucial raw materials.

The domestic aluminium industry’s existing investments in capacity have led to the creation of over 800,000 direct and indirect jobs and spurred the development of more than 4,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in remote regions, particularly in the downstream sector. According to the AAI, the additional investment of USD 40 billion to meet domestic demand would align with the Prime Minister's vision for an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’, while also creating 2 million livelihood opportunities across the country. With government support in the form of duty rationalisation and enhanced import restrictions, the domestic producers are confident of contributing to India's journey toward self-reliance.

Representational image courses: Victor Kovshevny/Flickr

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Toyota Motor North America has announced an investment of 3.6 billion USD in its plant in San Antonio, Texas. The project will add 2.5 million square feet to the campus and double its size by 2030. The expansion includes a second vehicle assembly line and will create 2,000 jobs, bringing the local workforce to approximately 6,000 people.

As part of this transition, the production of the Tacoma will move from the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Baja California plant to the Texas site over a four-year period. Once the expansion is complete, the San Antonio plant will assemble the Tundra, Sequoia, and Tacoma. The expansion will increase the annual production capacity of the plant by 150,000 units. Furthermore, the production of the Tacoma mid-size pickup will move from the Baja California plant in Mexico to the San Antonio facility over a period of four years.

Ted Ogawa, President and CEO, Toyota Motor North America, said, “Toyota’s continued investment in North America is a testament to our confidence in the region’s workforce, innovation and long-term growth potential. By expanding our San Antonio plant, we are deepening our commitment to American manufacturing, creating meaningful and sustainable jobs, while advancing our mission to deliver high-quality vehicles that meet the changing needs of customers today and into the future.”

Greg Abbott, Texas Governor, noted, “Texas is where the world builds bigger, and Toyota shows it once more with a USD 3.6 billion expansion in San Antonio that doubles their factory footprint and creates 2,000 new jobs. This Texas-sized investment reflects the strength of our workforce and the unmatched business advantages found only in our state. Supported by the Texas Enterprise Fund and JETI program, this expansion will deliver economic opportunities to generations of San Antonio families and further cement Texas as the premier destination for world-class advanced manufacturing.”

Frank Voss, group vice president of truck manufacturing at TMNA and president of Toyota Texas, added, “We are so proud of Team Texas and what they have accomplished over the past two decades. The 2,000 acres of South Texas ranchland our plant stands on today was purposefully selected for its ability to scale with vehicle demand, and today marks the first step toward realising that potential. We’re excited to add the beloved Tacoma to our existing award-winning lineup, and we thank the State of Texas, Bexar County and City of San Antonio for their longstanding support.”

This investment brings Toyota’s total spending at the San Antonio site to USD 8.3 billion since 2003. The facility currently supports 23 on-site suppliers and produced over 197,000 vehicles last year.

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Tata Motors has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Welspun Renewable Energy to develop an 86 MW wind-solar hybrid project. The project will supply power to Tata Motors' manufacturing plants in Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.

The project is expected to generate 200 million units of energy annually and offset 140,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. This initiative supports Tata Motors' goal to meet its RE100 target by 2030 and its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions.

Vishal Badshah, Vice-President – Operations, Tata Motors, said, "This project reflects Tata Motors’ continued focus on building greener and more energy-efficient manufacturing operations. The scale and integrated nature of this wind-solar hybrid solution will help us secure a reliable supply of renewable energy for key commercial vehicle manufacturing facilities, while meaningfully reducing carbon emissions across operations on a sustained basis. Collaborations like these are critical as we progress to fulfil our RE-100 commitment and net-zero aspirations."

Kapil Maheshwari, MD & CEO, Welspun Renewable Energy, said, “This partnership with Tata Motors represents a defining milestone in Welspun New Energy's journey. We are not merely signing a PPA, we are co-creating a model for how India's largest manufacturers can decarbonize and achieve net zero and sustainability goals. We thank Tata Motors for their trust and look forward to making this one of many long and successful partnerships. At Welspun New Energy, we remain committed to building resilient, future-ready renewable energy infrastructure for both Utilities and C&I consumers”

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Maruti Suzuki India, the country’s largest passenger vehicle manufacturer, has further expanded its capacity with its new manufacturing facility at IMT Kharkhoda, Haryana, going on stream.

The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, via video conferencing. The site represents an investment of INR 350 billion and is expected to create 21,000 jobs. Once the facility reaches its capacity of one million units per annum, it will be among the largest vehicle manufacturing sites globally.

Toshihiro Suzuki, Representative Director & President, Suzuki Motor Corporation, said, “It is a great honour for Suzuki group today as its most advanced car manufacturing facility at Kharkhoda, Haryana has been inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi and Sanae Takaichi. From current capacity of half a million units, the plant will be further scaled to one million units, making it one of the largest car plants in the world. It is a testament to the success of India-Japan partnership and ‘Make in India’ initiative. With favourable policy environment under PM Modi’s leadership, Suzuki is accelerating investments, employment, exports and technologies towards Viksit Bharat journey.”

“Over the years, India’s importance has grown significantly within the Suzuki Group. Suzuki’s first Battery Electric Vehicle, the e VITARA, is manufactured exclusively at Maruti Suzuki’s Gujarat plant, for exports to 100 countries globally. Thanks to exports of Made in India cars, Suzuki has become the largest car importer in Japan, one of the most demanding automobile markets. This shift is a strong reflection of how ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ is unfolding in practice, demonstrating growing global trust in India’s quality, capability, and advancement in manufacturing,” added Suzuki.

The Kharkhoda facility operates as a ‘Suzuki Smart Factory,’ utilising digital technologies to monitor operations and Industry 5.0 practices, such as the use of collaborative robots (COBOTS).

Interestingly, 100 percent of the facility’s electricity is sourced through renewable methods, including an installed solar capacity of 20 MWp, which is planned to reach 70 MWp by 2030. The site also includes a biogas plant and a Battery Energy Storage System.

The plant functions as a zero liquid discharge facility, with water requirements met through recycling and rainwater harvesting.

Furthermore, an in-plant railway siding will be established to manage vehicle transportation.

The company is also conducting community development projects in 10 nearby villages and continues to operate Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIMs) to develop a skilled workforce. Maruti Suzuki currently operates manufacturing plants in Gurugram, Manesar, Hansalpur, and now Kharkhoda, with a target capacity of 2.9 million units by the FY2026-27.

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Hindustan Zinc has expanded its Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) license to include Hindustan Zinc Die-Casting Alloy 5 (HZDA 5). The company now holds BIS certification for both HZDA 3 and HZDA 5, which are used in sectors including automotive, engineering and infrastructure.

The BIS certification confirms that products meet standards for quality, safety and reliability. This development is intended to provide customers with assurance regarding product consistency and performance.

Arun Misra, CEO & Whole Time Director, Hindustan Zinc, said, “The extension of our BIS license scope to include HZDA 5 is an important step in strengthening customer confidence in our certified product portfolio. For us, certification is not only about meeting standards, but also about assuring customers of dependable quality and long-term value. As industries increasingly look for high-performance and responsibly produced metals, Hindustan Zinc remains committed to delivering products that customers can trust.”

The company manages quality through processes including raw material sourcing, production, and testing. It uses systems such as the Laboratory Information Management System and Agile Quality Circle to monitor production. In addition to BIS, the company maintains certifications such as REACH and LBMA.

Hindustan Zinc produces zinc, lead, silver and alloys, including low-carbon offerings. The company also manages customer engagement through its digital platform, Vedanta Metal Bazaar.

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