Adani's $ 1.2 bn copper smelter imports from Peru, Chile, Australia

04 Mar 2024 CW Team

Gautam Adani's group, an Indian billionaire, is set to initiate its $ 1.2 billion copper smelter project, which is the largest single-location plant of its kind globally, according to a senior company official. The copper concentrates necessary for this venture will be sourced from Peru, Chile, and Australia.

Kutch Copper (KCL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises, anticipates commencing its operations in the coming weeks. The plant, situated in Mundra, Gujarat state, will initially have a capacity of 500,000 metric tons, with plans to expand to 1 million metric tons by 2028/29.

Vinay Prakash, the managing director of KCL, revealed in an interview with Reuters that the company is open to acquiring copper assets both in India and abroad, although specific details were not provided. Importantly, KCL will be importing copper concentrates from global miners and international traders.

Prakash explained, "The sourcing involves a strategic mix of short and long-term arrangements with miners and traders worldwide, including Peru, Chile, and Australia."

He emphasised that the copper smelter will contribute to enhancing domestic supplies of the metal, considering the robust demand for copper in India, driven by the construction, transport, and power sectors.

India's copper imports have surged, particularly since the closure of Vedanta's Sterlite Copper smelter in 2018, which produced approximately 400,000 metric tonne of copper. During the first nine months of the fiscal year starting in April, India imported copper ore and concentrate worth $ 2.2 billion from various countries, including Peru, Chile, Australia, and Indonesia.

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane, Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..