FIMI Seeks 15% Customs Duty to Protect Aluminium Sector

21 Nov 2025 CW Team

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries has recently urged the Ministry of Finance to raise the basic customs duty on primary aluminium and downstream products to 15 per cent, citing a sharp rise in imports and growing risks to domestic manufacturing. The appeal forms part of FIMI’s recommendations for the Union Budget 2026–27, and highlights the increasing diversion of low-quality aluminium scrap into India due to the absence of quality and BIS standards.

FIMI noted that more than Rs 1.5 trillion has already been invested in expanding India’s aluminium production base, with a further Rs 1.6 trillion planned to increase primary capacity to 7.2 MTPA by FY30 and around 9 MTPA by FY33. These investments, aligned with the Aluminium Vision Document, are expected to generate over eight lakh jobs and reinforce the country’s industrial and supply chain resilience.

Despite sufficient domestic capacity, nearly 55 per cent of India’s aluminium demand in FY26 is projected to be met through imports, particularly from China, Russia, ASEAN nations and the Middle East. FIMI also flagged the rising inflow of low-grade aluminium scrap from the USA, EU, UAE and UK, warning that India has effectively become the world’s largest scrap importer.

To address cost pressures, the federation has sought lower duties on critical raw materials and corrective action on the inverted duty structure. High input costs, multiple taxes and cesses, elevated electricity tariffs and logistics expenses continue to make India one of the costliest aluminium producers globally, with taxes alone accounting for about 17 per cent of production costs.

FIMI has urged the government to adopt its recommendations to revitalise mining, promote exports, stimulate investment and support national manufacturing goals under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Infrastructure Urban

05 May 2026

Meghalaya And Assam Hold Talks To End Transport Stoppages In Garo Hills

Meghalaya and Assam have opened talks aimed at ending recent stoppages of commodity transport in the Garo Hills, officials said. The deputy chief minister, in charge of home affairs, reported that both state governments are coordinating to resolve disruptions and to restore normal movement of goods. He acknowledged that misunderstandings may have contributed to the incidents and that clarification between administrative units is under way. The discussions are intended to produce practical arrangements that will allow consignments to move without hindrance while respecting local procedures. The..

Kochi Metro Records 1.375 mn Rise In Passengers In FY26

Kochi Metro recorded a marginal rise in ridership in the financial year 2025-26, carrying 1.375 mn more passengers than in the previous year. The service carried 36.8 million (mn) passengers in 2025-26 compared with 35.5 mn in 2024-25, representing a year-on-year increase of 3.9 per cent. The growth was described as distributed rather than concentrated in isolated spikes. A month-wise analysis shows steady gains across quarters. In the first quarter, ridership increased from 8.57 mn to 8.84 mn, while the second quarter rose from 9.13 mn to 9.51 mn. These trends indicated broad-based improvemen..

Ghaziabad Plans 16km Metro Link To Delhi Via Hindon Airport

Ghaziabad authorities are pursuing a 16 km metro link to Delhi that will run via Hindon Airport, and a detailed project report is under way. The plan is intended to improve connectivity between Ghaziabad and the national capital and to provide an interchange with the airport. Officials said the project is being studied to assess alignments, station locations and cost estimates ahead of formal approvals and tendering. The announcement follows the inauguration of the Delhi?Faridabad metro extension, which will offer hassle free travel for around 0.2 mn daily commuters between the national capita..