Hindalco to set up mfg unit

Mumbai: Aluminium producer Hindalco Industries on Tuesday announced its plan to set up a battery foil manufacturing facility at Sambalpur in Odisha with an investment of Rs 800 crore to tap the fast-expanding electric vehicle market.

The facility, to be commissioned by July 2025, will initially produce 25,000 tonnes of the aluminium foil which forms the backbone of lithium-ion and sodium-ion cells, Hindalco Industries said.

The company also plans to significantly expand its capacity of making fine-quality aluminium foil which is used in rechargeable batteries, Hindalco said in a statement. “Hindalco Industries is investing Rs 800 crore to build a new plant near Sambalpur in Odisha that will initially produce 25,000 tonnes of the resilient product which forms the backbone of Lithium-ion and Sodium-ion cells,” the statement said. By 2030, demand for battery grade aluminium foil in India is expected to grow manifold to 40,000 tonnes, primarily driven by mushrooming growth in gigafactories for advanced cell manufacturing, according to the company.

“We are seeing a fast traction in battery materials demand, driven by an impressive outlook for the electric vehicle and grid storage sectors. Raw material localisation is critical in such strategic sectors,” said Satish Pai, Managing Director at Hindalco Industries. “Hindalco is thus making various investments in battery materials and technologies towards building Atmanirbhar Bharat.