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At Hindalco, we believe that mining can be a powerful driver of India’s sustainable development journey.

We recognise that the future of mining in India is closely linked to the growth and wellbeing of our country. While the outlook for mining in India is positive, we are committed to responsible mining with careful consideration for the environment and the communities that it may impact.

Hindalco follows a holistic approach to sustainable mining that goes beyond compliance and takes into account the impact of the mine lifecycle. To strengthen our efforts, we pioneered India’s first Sustainable Mining Charter that highlights our research and initiatives in sustainable and responsible mining.

Our unique practices

Natural resource Management

Mining activities impact land use, degrade topsoil, and alter topography. To address this, we implement a reclamation strategy that includes careful topsoil management and land rehabilitation with native plants grown in our nurseries. Automated processes control dust for cleaner air, while modern mining methods reduce environmental impact and enhance worker safety. This ensures responsible mining with a focus on sustainability and restoration.

Water conservation

While designing our mining activities we build voids to store rainwater. The perimeter of these voids is secured through coir matting to maintain the water level and conserve topsoil. The harvested rainwater also helps in recharging groundwater levels. Our dogged efforts in water conservation are helping us achieve water positivity in many of our mines.

Livelihood generation

Aligned with our philosophy of sustainable livelihoods, we help communities utilise mined areas for rainwater harvesting, pisciculture, and duck farming, with treated water ensuring ecological balance. In Raigarh, our Kosala Foundation revives Kosa silk weaving by training women in yarn making and providing resources, market access, and income opportunities. Through Project Wadi, in partnership with NABARD, we empower small farmers to grow and sell vegetables. Additionally, we support lemon grass farming on reclaimed land with seeds, training, and processing units, fostering self-sufficiency.

Biodiversity management

Biodiversity management plays an important role in Sustainable Mining. We conducted a baseline study and impact assessment of the ecosystem to design a structured approach to biodiversity management. This approach has been critical in helping us address the impact of mining on forests and to design a mitigation plan. This biodiversity management plan also serves as a blueprint for our conservation efforts.

Recognised for our sustainable practices

In recognition of our efforts in safety and environmental protection, we have received several awards. Our mines have won the National Safety Award from the President of India in various categories for the years 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2018. Additionally, the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) honoured us with the Environmental Award in 2018-19 for our Bhusar bauxite mines.

Our captive bauxite and coal mines secure our position as a leading fully-integrated aluminium player in the world. At Hindalco Industries Ltd., we view mining as a means of driving sustainable development for the benefit of the nation.

Secure energy through captive coal mines

While we have increased focus on decarbonisation, coal still remains our primary source of energy. we employ a two-pronged approach – reliable and safe operations of our captive coals mines and sourcing coal through linkages with Coal India Ltd. (CIL). This approach helps us to ensure coal security, minimize risks and reduce environmental impact.

In 2015, we successfully acquired four coal mines through auctions held by the Ministry of Coal, Government of India. These include the Gare Palma IV/4 in Chhattisgarh, and the Kathautia in Jharkhand. Later in 2021, we also won the Chakla Coal Block in Jharkhand, in 2023 Meenakshi west Coal mines and in 2024 Meenakshi Coal Block which located in Odisha through a commercial coal block e-auction.

Our coal mines

Chakla coal mines

Kathautia coal mines — **Location:** Palamau, Jharkhand

**Capacity:** 800,000TPA

Kathautia mines

Meenakshi coal mines

**Location:**Sundargarh, Odisha

**Capacity:**1188.942MT

Meenakshi west coal mines

Gare Palma mines

Bauxite mines: facilitating backward integration

Our fully integrated value chain begins at our bauxite mines. We operate a total of 21 bauxite mines across the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra. These mines have a total EC capacity of approximately ~12 million tonnes. We have adopted sustainable transport facilities at our bauxite mines such as the Bagru ropeway and the Long-Distance Conveyor (LDC) at Baphlimali mines in Odisha to transport bauxite efficiently with minimal environmental impact.

In addition, we also prioritize water conservation through the construction of bunds, gully plugs, rainwater harvesting ponds, contours and terraces. We use harvested rainwater for our mining operations to minimize groundwater consumption. This has helped us become a water-positive company, meaning we are able to generate more water than we consume in our operations.

Our bauxite mines

Baphlimali Bauxite mines — **Location:** Rayagada, Odisha

**Capacity:** 2.27MTPA

Baphlimali mines

Durgmanwadi mines

Maliparbat mines

Samri mines

Lohardaga bauxite mines

Supporting sustainable livelihoods at Bagru mines, Lohardaga

We have transformed exhausted mining pits at Bagru into water harvesting structures for pisciculture. We have also built a bamboo cage and fingerling nursery, as well as a duck house to protect the young fish during the early stages of growth. We have provided training to local farmers and established an all-women self-help group on pisciculture and duck rearing respectively to promote sustainable livelihood among the community.

Our Sustainability Mining Charter

We are proud to have pioneered and launched a Sustainable Mining Charter – a playbook for the industry where the Company has highlighted its research and initiatives to ensure we leave the planet and the people better off than they have been. It has seven focus areas:

Sustainable Land use

Water use

waste management

emissions reduction

biodiversity management

health & safety

community development

Sustainability Mining Charter handbooks

Sustainable Mining Charter Part A

Sustainable Mining Charter

Sustainable Mining Charter Part B

Leading the way in sustainable mining