By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, June 30, 2016 : Odisha is all set to emerge as the aluminium capital of the country in the near future, according to union mines secretary, Balvinder Kumar.

“With more than half the bauxite reserves of the country and massive presence of Nalco, Hindalco and Vedanta, Odisha is soon going to be the Aluminium Capital of India,” Kumar said while addressing the inaugural session of the national seminar on ‘Aluminium: The Strategic Metal’, organized by Aluminium Association of India (AAI) here on Thursday.

Kumar said Aluminium Development Council would be set up soon strengthen the aluminium industry of the country. AAI president and the state run National Aluminium company Ltd chairman cum managing director, Tapan Kumar Chand, had urged Kumar to constitute such a council forthwith.

Besides, Kumar disclosed that on AAI’s recommendation, the union mnies ministry has asked the Railways to charge the freight of bauxite at par with limestone and include alumina in the non-metal segment.

He also expressed his happiness that despite varying business interests, aluminium majors, primary producers and secondary producers have gathered under the AAI umbrella to collectively counter the market downturn in aluminium sector.

Kumar also complimented Nalco for accepting Govt of India’s suggestion to take up Jagannath Temple in Puri under Swachh Bharat Mission. He urged other aluminium players to adopt villages under open-defecation-free programme.

Speaking on the occasion, Odisha steel and mines principal secretary R.K. Sharma said that there is a vast scope for the aluminium industry in India at large and in Odisha, in particular.

In his address, Chand said that while the aluminium industry across the globe is passing through sluggishness, AAI is taking up steps to strengthen the sector through various initiatives. He stressed on cost reduction, making domestic market more vibrant and enhancing the aluminium market through introduction of various value-added and high-end products.

In the technical session, Abhijit Pati, CEO (Aluminium Business) of Vedanta spoke about developing the ancillary and downstream industry through aluminium parks and strategic business models, while Satish Pai, deputy managing director of Hindalco outlined the aluminium outlook, particularly in the wake of dumping of surplus aluminium by China.

An International Conference on Aluminium (INCAL 2017) will be held in Bhubaneswar next February, AAI sources said.