Hindalco Industries, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has announced a major expansion of its aluminium operations in Odisha, reinforcing India’s push towards value-added manufacturing and energy transition. The company unveiled a Rs 210 billion  expansion of its aluminium smelting capacity at the Aditya Aluminium complex in Sambalpur and commissioned a new Flat Rolled Products (FRP) and battery-grade aluminium foil manufacturing facility with an investment of Rs 45 billion.

The expansion includes a 3,60,000-tonne-per-annum smelter and a 1,70,000 lakh-tonne-per-annum FRP facility, alongside India’s first battery-grade aluminium foil manufacturing unit. The projects were inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi. The battery foil facility draws feedstock directly from the FRP unit and is designed to support up to 100 GWh of lithium-ion cell manufacturing capacity, strengthening India’s electric mobility and energy storage ecosystem.

These developments form part of Hindalco’s broader growth capital expenditure programme, with around Rs 370 billion planned for Odisha across upstream and downstream aluminium operations. This represents a significant share of the company’s total growth capex of Rs 550 billion across India. Hindalco is currently India’s largest flat rolled products player, accounting for over 50 per cent of the domestic market.

With nearly 40 per cent of flat-rolled aluminium imported into India, the expanded FRP capacity is expected to cut import dependence by nearly half, improving domestic availability of high-grade aluminium products and enhancing competitiveness. The smelter expansion at Sambalpur also integrates sustainability measures, with a portion of its power requirement planned to be met through round-the-clock renewable energy.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said the expansion reflects the importance of integration, value addition and sustainability in India’s manufacturing growth. He highlighted Hindalco’s role in building a fully integrated aluminium ecosystem, supported by a long-standing partnership with Odisha.

Satish Pai, Managing Director, Hindalco Industries Ltd, noted that the FRP expansion and smelter growth exemplify the company’s integrated upstream–downstream strategy, enabling it to serve sectors such as packaging, defence, electric mobility, renewable energy and advanced manufacturing.

Hindalco has maintained a presence in Odisha for over 15 years, with cumulative investments exceeding Rs 250 billion across bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting and downstream manufacturing. Its integrated operations currently support nearly 23,000 jobs, with the next phase of expansion expected to generate over 15,000 additional direct and indirect employment opportunities. Sustainability remains central to the company’s strategy, supported by renewable energy integration, advanced technologies and community-focused CSR initiatives.