Vedanta Limited announced on World EV Day (September 8, 2025) that it has invested more than ₹12,500 crore to expand metal manufacturing capabilities for India’s growing electric vehicle industry, with capacity expansion projects spanning aluminium smelters, zinc alloy plants, and ferrochrome production facilities.
Strategic Investment in Critical EV Metals
The Mumbai-listed conglomerate’s capital expenditure focuses on producing critical minerals essential for EV manufacturing, including aluminium, zinc, copper, nickel, steel, and ferrochrome. The investments encompass capacity expansion across aluminium smelters, boosting aluminium value-added products, establishing zinc alloy plants, roaster setup for zinc production, and ferrochrome capacity augmentation.
Vedanta is positioning itself as India’s primary supplier of energy transition metals, with a comprehensive product portfolio that includes primary foundry alloys for wheels and engine blocks, billets for battery casings, and HVAC systems for EV frames.
Green Aluminium and Lightweight Solutions
The company has introduced India’s first low-carbon ‘green’ aluminium products branded Restora and Restora Ultra, enabling automotive manufacturers to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. Research indicates that every kilogram of aluminium used in a car reduces overall weight by 1 kg, with 100 kg weight savings potentially increasing an EV’s range by 10-15 percent.
“At TVS Motors, we prioritize excellence in our automotive offerings by using top-class aluminium which plays a vital role in delivering products that are not only top-tier in performance but also sustainable,” said S. Senthil Kumar, Vice President – Central Purchase at TVS Motors, a Vedanta customer.
Comprehensive Zinc Portfolio for Automotive Applications
Vedanta operates one of the world’s largest zinc production facilities, manufacturing special high-grade zinc (99.995% purity) and Asia’s first low-carbon ‘green’ zinc branded EcoZen. The company’s zinc die-casting alloys HZDA 3 and HZDA 5 are specifically engineered for automotive applications, offering exceptional castability and dimensional tolerance.
Zinc provides crucial corrosion resistance for lightweight steel bodies through galvanization processes, ensuring vehicle durability. The metal is also being researched as an alternative to lithium-based batteries in nickel-zinc, zinc-ion, and zinc-air chemistries.
“Zinc is rapidly becoming an indispensable material in the automotive sector, particularly with the acceleration of electric vehicle production,” said Abhinandan Singh, Senior Area Procurement Manager Metals at Tata Steel, another Vedanta customer.
Nickel and Copper for Battery Systems
As India’s sole primary nickel producer, Vedanta supplies critical materials for EV battery systems and structural components. In FY25, nearly 80 percent of the company’s nickel metal production was sold domestically. Vedanta also produces nickel sulphate, a key ingredient for nickel-rich battery cathodes, holding 40 percent of India’s domestic nickel sulphate market while exporting to global EV battery manufacturers.
The company’s copper operations support the EV industry’s increased demand, as electric vehicles require 3-4 times more copper than conventional vehicles for batteries, motors, inverters, wiring, and charging systems.
Vedanta plans to diversify into rare earth elements, graphite, vanadium, manganese, and tungsten production to strengthen both direct and indirect value chains for EV manufacturing. The company also produces iron ore, ferrochrome, steel, and oil & gas products that support downstream EV applications including lubricants and tires.