Top five aluminium powder manufacturers in India

The global aluminium powder market is growing driven by the automotive paints and sealants and other industrial pigments sectors. During 2009-2016, the market has grown at a CAGR of two per cent reaching a volume of 589,012 tonnes in 2016. A recently published report suggests the market will grow at around five per cent CAGR over the next five years. The Asia-Pacific region accounted for 44 per cent of the global aluminium powder market share during 2014. Piggybacking the growth in China and India, the market is expected to grow further, both volume and value-wise, through 2020.

Aluminium powder, also known as aluminium flake or metana, is a light, silvery-white to grey, odourless, granular powder having flammable reactive properties. It is used for several applications such as manufacture of slurry, explosive and detonators, thermit process used for manufacture of ferro-alloys, specialised welding applications, and manufacture of aluminium paste, paints and several pigments used in automobiles manufacturing. There are four major grades of aluminium powder: Reagent grade, Technical grade, Bio-tech grade, and Analytical grade. In foundry, the metal powder is used as deoxidant and exothermic tapping compounds to increase the yield of casting.

In a DSIR report published way back in 2002, the total production of aluminium powder in India was estimated at more than 10,000 MT per year. Aluminium powder market since then has grown significantly. The market here is characterised by the presence of a number of SMEs and MSMEs mostly clustered in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi. Most of them have an installed capacity of around one tonne per day. Besides, there are four major players. The top five aluminium powder manufacturers in India are as follows:

(Please note the ranking below is dynamic and subject to changes under different market conditions).

1. Metal Powder Company

The Metal PowderCompany Limited (MEPCO), based in Thirumangalam, Tamil Nadu, is the winner of several National Awards for export merit and import substitution and process development for aluminium powder and other metal powders. It has four manufacturing plants in India and has a combined capacity in excess of 50000 million tonnes per annum.

MEPCO's Aluminium powder and paste portfolio features a wide range of products namely aluminium powder for light weight concrete, aluminium powders for firework products, aluminium powder for pesticides, aluminium alloy powder, aluminium paste for light weight concrete, non-leafing aluminium paste, leafing aluminium paste, atomized aluminium powder, leafing aluminium powder, non-leafing aluminium powder, special non leafing aluminium paste, spherical aluminium powder, and ferro aluminium powder.

The company boasts a wide distribution network across the country with sales depots located in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Gwalior, Chennai, Madurai and Sivakasi. It also exports its products to more than 40 countries all over the world.

2. Khosla Metal Powder Company

Incorporated in 1962, Khosla Metal Powder Company has grown as a leading manufacturer of aluminium and other metal powder and fabricated products in India. It is a privately held company based in Pune.

3. Arasan Aluminium Industries

A subsidiary of The Arasan Group of Industries, Arasan Aluminium Industries (P) Ltd, is engaged in the manufacture of aluminium powders and pigments. The company was incorporated in 1982 at Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu to meet the increasing demand of aluminium powder, which was earlier imported by all Indian industries. The manufacturing unit at Melamathur village was installed with an initial capacity of 150 MT of Pyrotechnic Aluminium powder per annum. Over the decades, the company has undergone continuous developments and built on its expertise through innovation in various new fields of application thereby increasing its production capacities to 6000 MT per annum.

Arasan Aluminium Industries' offerings include a wide range of products such as Atomised Aluminium Powder, Pyrotechnic powder, Aluminium Pastes (Leafing & Non Leafing), Pigment powders and Lightweight Concrete powder which are produced using the latest powder technology.

4. Glacier Aluminium

Glacier, based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, specializes in the manufacture and export of aluminium pastes of all grades and powders along with other non-ferrous metal powders- all under one roof. The manufacturing unit of the company is located in the Government Tax Exemption Zone of Silvassa, wherein the CST is NIL, which is an added advantage to buyers all over India. Its proximity to Nhava Sheva- the biggest seaport in India ensures faster logistics support for exports to countries such as Germany, USA, Malaysia, Bangladesh etc.

The current annual production capacity of Glacier Aluminium stands at:

• Cumulative Aluminium Powder - 9200 MT/PA
• Aluminium Paste (All Grades) -  1000 MT/PA

The company produces aluminium powder for AAC Blocks of various types and also for other applications in Thermit, ferro alloy manufacturing, pesticide manufacturing, manufacturing of aluminium fireworks / pyro powder and aluminium paste leafing and non-leafing.

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5. MMP Industries Ltd

MMP Industries Ltd, formerly Maharashtra Metal Powders Ltd., is a global player in the field of aluminium powders and aluminium pastes. It has developed an extensive range of aluminium powders for the Construction industry. Its product portfolio features aerated concrete aluminium powders & pastes, aluminium powders explosive grade, aluminium powders pesticides grade, pyrotechnic aluminium powders, atomized aluminium powders, pigment aluminium powders (leafing & non-leafing), and aluminium pastes (leafing & non-leafing). Apart from serving the domestic market, MMPIL exports its products to countries in Europe, Middle-East, Africa and the Asia Pacific.

PT. Indal Aluminium Industry Tbk is another name to reckon with in Indian aluminium powder (coating) sector. The company owns a surface finishing business which is supported by an in-house paint facility. There are 2 types of painting system at the facility: horizontal and vertical painting system, which provides Indal's customers with both aluminium powder and fluorocarbon (wet) coatings with better uniformity and coverage area. Indal's high quality aluminium power coating and fluorocarbon coating come with a 10-15 years of warranty.

Other noted aluminium powder manufacturers of India are Sri Kaliswari Metal Powders Private Limited (Melamattur, Tamilnadu), Deva Metal Powders Pvt. Ltd., Sarda Industrial Enterprise of Jaipur, N.B. Enterprises, J. Aluminium Pvt. Ltd. of Ahmedabad, Shakambari Enterprises (India) Pvt. Ltd., West Bengal, and Value Recycle of Odhav, Ahmedabad.