Vedanta Aluminium, one of the largest primary aluminium producers of India, has announced the formal launch of its newest product line, Primary Foundry Alloy (PFA) for the Indian automotive industry.

The company had first unveiled PFA at the 59^th Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Annual Convention 2019, and became the first primary aluminium producer to supply the raw material for alloy wheels in the country. The company says until now, the automotive and ancillary industries were completely dependent on import for the product.

The company says it is investing in creating a PFA capacity of 240,000 tonnes in alignment with the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative to cater to the domestic requirement of automotive companies and OEMs to rely on indigenously procured material. Vedanta says localisation of the sustainable domestic raw material supply chain will help the Indian automotive industry.

Ajay Kapur, CEO – Aluminium and Power, Vedanta said, “As a long-term strategy, we are adopting various measures to serve the growing demand of our Indian customers. With the introduction of the Primary Foundry Alloy, we have expanded our product portfolio that will enhance our reach to the end customers and allow us to become a significant player in the product value chain in the automotive industry. We believe the new product will not only support the auto sector but also help reduce India’s import bill.”

PFA is a part of the cast aluminium alloy family, which is predominantly an alloy of aluminium, silicon and magnesium. Aluminium PFAs are known for their excellent metal quality requiring high purity aluminium and superior castability that make them a preferred choice for the critical applications in the auto industry. These alloys are used to manufacture important auto parts including alloy wheels, cylinder heads and brake systems among others.

Vedanta says at present, the share of aluminium alloy wheels in India is significantly lower compared to the rest of the world. With increased focus on light-weighting of vehicles, it is expected that over the next few years there will be a surge in the uptake of alloy wheels due to certain undeniable advantages. The biggest strength of Vedanta’s products is that they use best in class technology to conform to the global specifications and standards as well as undergo rigorous quality assurance checks to ensure that customers access products of world-class quality. Vedanta states that its capability to customise these alloys also equips the company to address the varying requirements of the auto industry. 

The introduction of PFA in the company’s portfolio is part of its belief that aluminium, is the metal of the future, and holds significant strategic importance for the economy. Its versatility makes aluminium metal of choice for transportation, power, aerospace, defence, building and construction and packaging industry, and these new value-added products will assist its adoption for other industries as well.

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