MUMBAI (Metro Rail News): At the 64th annual general meeting (AGM) of Hindalco Industries Limited, Kumar Mangalam Birla, the company’s chairman, announced a proposed investment of approximately ₹2,000 crore. The investment aims to introduce new extrusion and fabrication technologies to India. These technologies play a vital role in the construction of Vande Bharat trains within the country.
We are enthusiastic about collaborating with the Indian railways and the ecosystem involved in manufacturing passenger coaches for the ambitious high-speed Vande Bharat trains. We have earmarked an investment of Rs 2,000 crore for this project, and we have established technological partnerships to introduce novel extrusion and fabrication technologies to India,” Birla stated.
Hindalco successfully introduced India’s first all-aluminium lightweight train, enabling increased speed and higher payload capacity. In the upcoming months, the company intends to launch three additional variations of freight wagons designed for specific purposes, such as transporting bagged cement and foodgrains.
Referring to the Indian railway’s objective of achieving net zero carbon emission and simultaneously increasing freight capacity, Mr. Birla emphasized that the company is fully committed to aiding the railway’s carbon reduction aspirations. He mentioned, “In the upcoming months, we have intentions to unveil three additional freight wagon designs that cater to distinct end-use purposes, such as transporting bagged cement and foodgrains.”
The chairman also talked about another ₹2,000 crore investment by the company. This investment will be used to establish the first-of-its-kind copper and electronic waste recycling facility. Currently, a lot of electronic waste is sent to other countries because India doesn’t have the right technology to extract valuable metals from it. This new facility will change that and contribute to India’s efforts for a circular economy.
