Vedanta Group has announced a significant investment of over ₹21,000 crore through fiscal year 2026. This substantial capital injection is aimed at expanding the company's metal production capacity and securing crucial critical mineral blocks, aligning with the escalating demand from the electric vehicle (EV) and broader automotive sectors.
Driving India's EV Ecosystem
The investment underscores Vedanta's commitment to bolstering India's domestic EV metals ecosystem. India currently relies on imports for more than 80% of its critical mineral requirements, with demand projected to increase four to tenfold by 2047. To address this, Vedanta has secured 10 critical mineral blocks, including copper, nickel-chromium-PGE, tungsten, graphite, vanadium, rare earth elements, and potash, with exploration already underway across five of these sites.
Strategic Investments Across Key Metals
The ₹21,000 crore investment is strategically distributed across various metals crucial for modern industries and the energy transition.
Aluminium for Lightweight Solutions
Vedanta's aluminium operations are poised to capitalize on the increasing use of lightweight materials in EVs. In FY2025-26, Vedanta Aluminium Metal achieved a record production of 2.45 million tonnes, solidifying its position as India’s largest primary aluminium producer. The company's portfolio includes primary foundry alloys, rolled products, billets, and slabs vital for automotive and other applications. Vedanta is actively expanding smelting and value-added capacity at its BALCO facility in Chhattisgarh and its Jharsuguda operations in Odisha. Innovations like low-carbon aluminium products Restora and Restora Ultra, alongside Copper-Doped Alloy developed with IIT Delhi, demonstrate a focus on sustainable and high-performance materials.
Copper: Essential for Electric Vehicles
Copper is another key focus, given that EVs typically require three to four times more copper than conventional vehicles. Vedanta reported its highest-ever cathode production of 170 kilotonnes in FY2025-26. The group is also investing in a copper rod plant in Saudi Arabia to enhance its downstream production capacity.
Nickel and Zinc Strengthen Portfolio
Vedanta is India’s sole primary nickel producer, a metal vital for battery technologies. Its zinc and silver business, operated through Hindustan Zinc, also plays a significant role in the electrification ecosystem. Hindustan Zinc produced 851 kilotonnes of refined zinc and 627 tonnes of saleable silver in FY2025-26, offering specialized automotive zinc alloys and EcoZen, a low-carbon zinc product.
Future-Forward Innovation
Arun Misra, CEO of Vedanta Group, emphasized the importance of these initiatives: “As EV adoption accelerates, the strength of India’s journey will increasingly depend on its ability to secure reliable access to the metals and critical minerals that underpin vehicles, batteries and charging infrastructure.” Vedanta is also forging partnerships with institutions like IIT Madras and JNCASR to research and develop next-generation battery technologies, specifically focusing on sustainable zinc-based battery solutions for EV and energy-storage applications.