Vedanta Group has invested over ₹21,000 crore through FY26 in projects covering metal production and capacity expansion across aluminium, zinc, value-added alloys, copper, steel, nickel and ferrochrome. The company said the investments are intended to strengthen the domestic materials base supporting the electric vehicle (EV) and automotive industries.
The company said demand for materials used in battery cells, energy storage, electric motors, power electronics, semiconductor chips, charging infrastructure and lightweight vehicle components is expected to increase as EV adoption grows. India currently imports over 80 percent of its critical mineral requirements, while demand for critical minerals and rare earth elements could increase four- to tenfold by 2047, according to Vedanta.
Vedanta said it has secured 10 critical mineral blocks covering copper, nickel-chromium-PGE, tungsten, graphite, vanadium, rare earth elements and potash. Exploration is underway across five of these blocks. The company said the move is aimed at increasing domestic access to minerals used across automotive and energy applications.
Vedanta Expands Aluminium Capacity For Automotive Applications
Vedanta Aluminium’s operations at BALCO in Chhattisgarh and Jharsuguda in Odisha are being expanded to increase aluminium smelting and value-added capacity. In FY2025-26, Vedanta Aluminium Metal Limited produced 24.5 lakh tonnes of aluminium. Its automotive-related portfolio includes primary foundry alloys, rolled products, billets and slabs.
The company has also introduced Restora and Restora Ultra, described as low-carbon aluminium products, for manufacturers seeking to reduce the carbon footprint associated with material sourcing. Vedanta Aluminium has additionally launched Copper-Doped Alloy for automotive applications and Vedanta Foundry Alloy, developed with IIT Delhi under its Primary Foundry Alloy range.
Nickel, Zinc And Copper Support EV Materials Supply
Vedanta said nickel is a direct part of its EV battery materials portfolio and that it is India's sole primary nickel producer. Its zinc and silver operations are conducted through Hindustan Zinc. In FY2025-26, Hindustan Zinc produced 851kt of refined zinc and 627 tonnes of saleable silver, while its portfolio includes automotive zinc alloys and EcoZen, a low-carbon zinc offering.
Copper is another focus area, with Vedanta stating that EVs require three to four times more copper than conventional vehicles. Vedanta Limited produced a record 170kt of cathodes in FY2025-26, with copper used in applications including motors, cables, conductors and electrical systems. The company is also investing in a copper rod plant in Saudi Arabia to expand downstream copper production capacity.
Vedanta Group CEO Arun Misra said the company's strategy involves expanding its presence across metals and critical minerals as domestic supply chains develop around EVs, batteries and charging infrastructure.
Vedanta Develops Zinc-Based Battery Technologies
Beyond raw materials, Vedanta is working on battery technology through partnerships with IIT Madras and JNCASR. The company said these collaborations are focused on developing zinc-based battery solutions for the EV and energy storage ecosystem.