A ‘Mission Plan', aimed at sustained and well-planned growth of Indian aluminium and related industries, was in an advanced stage of discussion with all stakeholders and would be finalised soon, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Vishwapati Trivedi, said here on Tuesday.

Inaugurating a three-day International Conference on Aluminium here, he said the plan when finalised would help the government evolve a national policy for guidance of all stakeholders. It would address the Ministry's key objective—to enhance per capita aluminium consumption to match consumption “in our peer developing countries like China, Brazil.

He said that it would also enable the country to beneficially exploit the natural resources of bauxite and coal available in plentiful, besides well-trained pool of human resources. “Further, the growth in Indian aluminium industry supports extensive manpower employment thereby raising the living standards of masses,” he added.

He said the Department of Science and Technology, in association with the Aluminium Association of India (AAI), was preparing a technology roadmap to guide the industry to remain competitive in the global market. Besides, it has taken up projects aimed at reducing weight of automobiles with the prime objective of improving fuel efficiency and reducing gas emissions. He cited the joint initiative of AAI and Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment (TIFAC) to help develop more efficient and safer solution for a bus body.

Mr. Trivedi also said that NALCO had developed a prototype of a rail wagon with aluminium body to accelerate the use of metal. These ventures would help in achieving India's commitment to reduce emissions by 20 to 25 per cent to below 2005 levels by 2020.

Best reserves
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Mines, G. Srinivas, said around 1.5 per cent of the country's GDP came from the mineral sector, which, however, remained for the past decade. However, India and China were expected to produce 44 per cent of the aluminium requirements globally by 2030. Pointing out that India had one of the best aluminium and bauxite ore reserves, he said the draft of a new legislation sought to provide some benefit-sharing mechanism to the local areas.