FIMI Urges RoDTEP Scheme Extension For Aluminium Exports

30 Apr 2025 CW Team

This follows a similar appeal made recently by the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) to the Hon’ble Minister of Finance, underlining the importance of RoDTEP benefits to safeguard the competitiveness of nearly 45% of aluminium exports from India that originate from AA/EOU/SEZ units.

FIMI’s representation to Commerce Secretary Shri Sunil Barthwal appreciated the progressive policy reforms by the Ministry but highlighted that the current lapse in RoDTEP coverage beyond 5th Feb 2025 is putting Indian aluminium producers at a cost disadvantage. These units continue to bear embedded taxes and duties, which is 5-10% of their production cost and eroding their competitiveness in the international market.

The letter further mentioned that the Indian aluminium sector, with over $20 billion in investments and 4.1 million tonne per annum capacity, is the second largest producer in the world. Any delay in reinstating RoDTEP benefits for exports from AA/EOU/SEZ units may lead to production cuts, job losses and setbacks to domestic value addition.

Previously, the Commerce Ministry had extended RoDTEP coverage to aluminium units through notifications in March and September 2024 and again on March 20, 2025, with benefits applicable only till February 5, 2025.

In view of the ongoing global trade headwinds, FIMI has requested the Ministry to notify an extension beyond this date to ensure continuity and policy clarity. The industry is still waiting for formal notification for applicability from February 6, 2025 onwards.

With both FIMI and AAI echoing the same concern, the aluminium industry hopes the government will act swiftly to restore parity and support India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing hub.

In a move that reinforces the Indian aluminium industry’s unified demand, the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) has submitted a formal representation to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, seeking urgent extension of the Remission of Duties or Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) Scheme for aluminium-producing units located in Advance Authorisation (AA) holders, Export Oriented Units (EOUs), and Special Economic Zones (SEZs).This follows a similar appeal made recently by the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) to the Hon’ble Minister of Finance, underlining the importance of RoDTEP benefits to safeguard the competitiveness of nearly 45% of aluminium exports from India that originate from AA/EOU/SEZ units.FIMI’s representation to Commerce Secretary Shri Sunil Barthwal appreciated the progressive policy reforms by the Ministry but highlighted that the current lapse in RoDTEP coverage beyond 5th Feb 2025 is putting Indian aluminium producers at a cost disadvantage. These units continue to bear embedded taxes and duties, which is 5-10% of their production cost and eroding their competitiveness in the international market.The letter further mentioned that the Indian aluminium sector, with over $20 billion in investments and 4.1 million tonne per annum capacity, is the second largest producer in the world. Any delay in reinstating RoDTEP benefits for exports from AA/EOU/SEZ units may lead to production cuts, job losses and setbacks to domestic value addition.Previously, the Commerce Ministry had extended RoDTEP coverage to aluminium units through notifications in March and September 2024 and again on March 20, 2025, with benefits applicable only till February 5, 2025.In view of the ongoing global trade headwinds, FIMI has requested the Ministry to notify an extension beyond this date to ensure continuity and policy clarity. The industry is still waiting for formal notification for applicability from February 6, 2025 onwards.With both FIMI and AAI echoing the same concern, the aluminium industry hopes the government will act swiftly to restore parity and support India’s ambition to become a global manufacturing hub.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Infrastructure Transport

09 Apr 2026

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

Infrastructure Transport

09 Apr 2026

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..