India's Diet Coke shortage in 2026 exposed an unexpected weakness in the country's aluminium industry. Despite being the world's second-largest primary aluminium producer, India struggled to ensure adequate supplies of aluminium cans when disruptions to Middle Eastern shipping affected imports of specialised can-sheet material. The episode highlighted a structural gap in the domestic aluminium value chain: producing the metal is one thing, but converting it into higher-value finished products is another. The shortage emerged during the summer drinking season, when Diet Coke became increasingly difficult to find on Indian shelves. Quick-commerce platforms reported limited availability as shipping disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict affected aluminium supplies through the Strait...
Tesla's ambitions for its Optimus humanoid robot extend well beyond factory automation, with the company envisioning a future in which robots could support vehicle servicing, logistics and even last-mile delivery. However, turning that vision into a commercially viable product will require more than advances in artificial intelligence and robotics. It will also depend on access to aluminium, critical minerals and the downstream manufacturing capabilities needed to produce increasingly sophisticated hardware at scale. Tesla has already taken an important step towards that ambition. On October 21, 2026, the company announced that Optimus production had begun on its high-volume manufacturing line in Fremont, California. Tesla described the units coming off the line as its first...
Grow with
AL Circle
The expeditiously growing group, Modular Group Investments Limited (MGI) that emphasised acquiring businesses around the off-site manufacturing sector has accomplished another acquisition this year with the procurement of the entire share capital of a 35-year-old aluminium fenestration business based in Barton-upon-Humber North Lincolnshire, Barton Windows Limited. The newest acquisition pursues to diversify MGI’s client base and counted potential synergistic value to the group, although also complementing MGI’s existing aluminium product portfolio of cladding and decking branded ‘Euralite’ that was rolled out in the previous month. MGI’s legality of the acquisition was advised by Hempsons, while the transaction concluded on 14 th October 2021. Michael Garratt, Founder & CEO at MGI said:...
Scarcity of aluminium foil, along with the increase in its price, may cause shortage of many important medications, since their production has become unprofitable. The pricing of 680 scheduled medication formulations are regulated by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority. The wholesale price index is used to update prices once a year. “With the price of aluminium foil increasing by 25 to 30 per cent over the last three months, manufacturing of several drugs has become unviable. Several scheduled drugs may become unavailable, if the situation is not brought under control,” said SL Singla, adviser, Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association. Aluminium foil has been in limited supply for the past 5-6 months among the pharmaceutical makers. “There has been an increase of Rs 60 in the...
The economy of South Korea has a mixed economic system that constitutes a variety of private freedom, blended with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Innovation and technology are the vital constituents that have braced South Korean export competitiveness and propelled the country's excellent economic rise over the past decades. The East Asian nation, South Korea exported 2164 tonnes of aluminium containers during 2019-20, which are very much used in the food and hospitality industry and the revenue incurred from the export of containers accounted for $8.96 million. In 2019, South Korea exported only 147 tonnes of aluminium containers and the revenue generation development counted to $47,870 million, whereas, in 2020, the export saw enterprising growth by 1272%, as...
Kazakhstan being a member nation of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has a mixed economic system that includes a variety of private freedom, amalgamated with centralized economic planning and government regulation. The economy of Kazakhstan is the largest in Central Asia in both absolute and per capita terms, however, the currency saw a drastic depreciation between 2013 and 2016. The central Asian country and the former Soviet republic, Kazakhstan imported 4756 tonnes of aluminium foil during 2018-20 and the foreign revenue expended for the import accounted for $18.62 million. In 2018, Kazakhstan imported 504 tonnes of aluminium foil with revenue expenditure counted to $2.50 million, whereas, in 2019, the domestic demand shoot up by 274.20%, as the import volume grew to 1886 tonnes and...
The economy of Panama is primarily dependent on the services sector, which shoulders the maximum majority of its GDP and accounts for most of its foreign revenue. As per the data, it is driven that in 2020, agriculture contributed around 2.74% to the GDP of Panama, 23.6% came from the industry and 71.01% from the services sector. The country’s United States dollar-based economy has been propelled by the Panama Canal’s ambitious 2016 expansion and other public infrastructure improvement projects. The nation famous for the human engineering that slits through its middle, linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to create an essential shipping route, Panama exported 6727 tonnes of aluminium cans incurring revenue of $31.92 million during 2019-20. In 2019, the import recorded export of 4233...
Grup Aresa Internacional of Spain has delivered four Aresa 1700 inshore patrol boats to the Nigerian Navy. Aresa had already informed last month that the boats were shipped, marking the conclusion of commissioning, sea trials, etc. In April, Aresa announced the launch of their first fighter vessel named Aresa 1700 Fighter II vessel (P494). The Aresa 1700 (Fighter II class) is constructed using aluminium and is around 17 metres long. Its overall length is 19.2 metres with a 4 metre beam. Each vessel displaces 7.6 tonnes. Not only this, they are also powered by two MTU engines which can deliver 1250 hp, driven by a propeller. The Aresa 1700 also features a top speed of 40 knots. A Rigid Inflatable Boat (RHIB) can be taken to the rear of the vessel and launched by the vertical launching...
On 11 th October 2021, the European multinational aerospace corporation, Airbus initiated the production of the introductory aluminium panel skin for the Skynet 6A military communications satellite at its facility in Stevenage, on an occasion in the presence of the UK’s minister of defence procurement Jeremy Quin. Quin stated: “Secure military SATCOM is vital for our ability to conduct operations on a global scale.” “Seeing the first hardware for the next-generation Skynet 6A satellite shows we are on track for launch in 2025 and ready to upgrade and enhance the UK’s global military communications network”, the minister added. The international pioneer in the aerospace sector, Airbus in July 2020 secured the contract to design and develop Skynet 6A from the UK Ministry of Defence. In...
The international financial institution World Bank has classified Croatia as a high-income economy and ranks very high on the Human Development Index. 25% of the country’s GDP is accounted for by the industrial sector. Economically the most developed European nation, Croatia imported 5915 tonnes of aluminium household articles during 2018-20 and the revenue expended for the import accounted for $25.22 million. In 2018, Croatia imported aluminium household articles for 804 tonnes and the expenditure counted for the import was $3.60 million, whereas, in 2019, the import reflected an excellent growth by 261.56%, as the import volume shoot up to 2907 tonnes and the expenditure also climbed to $11.57 million. Croatia’s export of aluminium household articles in 2020 illustrated a downfall by...
The aluminium food container is considered one of the budget-friendly food-grade containers and one of the customarily used packaging solutions across food industries. As metal aluminium is a poor insulator and doesn’t permit the heat to pass through, this makes aluminium foils and containers, the most preferred packaging solution. Aluminium foil reflects the thermal energy back to the food maintaining the inherent aroma, moisture, and flavour of the food. The economy of Indonesia is a market-based economy, where the government plays a vital role, including administering prices for some basic goods such as fuel, rice and electricity. It is the world's fourth most populous nation and 10th largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity. The transcontinental nation in Southeast Asia and...
Vetroplas Packaging Limited, a supplier of high-quality cosmetics packaging to the UK, is offering new aluminium bottles to personal care sectors, developed with fully-integrated in-line silk screen printing technology. The new technology, which can be used alongside the existing offset printing, has been invented by Vetroplas’ Spanish manufacturing partner Envases. It incorporates the use of haptic inks to provide tactile effects, with parts of a design raised above the flat surface of the bottles. According to Vetroplas, the in-line hot foil stamping technology used in the process enhances artwork possibilities including the opportunity to offer foil in a range of colours as well as more conventional silver and gold. Vetroplas managing director Simon Dix said: “The Vetroplas/Envases...
60-day aluminium to-go cup pilot programme by Savannah downtown has ended with great success, says participating restaurants. The programme, which started in August adding aluminium cups as an option to fill to-go cups for alcoholic beverages, has witnessed the use of around 50,000 cups. “We know that diverted 50,000 pieces of plastic out of the waste stream, out of our environment which is just a huge hit,” said Alderman Nick Palumbo. As the programme is a huge hit, restaurants are now looking for ways to continue the initiative for the long term. “We had a really nice success with this project,” said Carey Ferrara, director of sales and marketing of the Gaslight Group, which owns several restaurants in Savannah. There were certain downsides too in the programme related to costs. But...
According to a recent report, the first rake of the Pune Metro, made in aluminium, is scheduled to reach the city in the coming week, if all the formalities are completed at the Mumbai port. The casting of two more trains is underway and the rakes are expected to arrive in Pune in the next few days. Since made in aluminium, these trains are lightweight and save more energy and require less maintenance. Every train will have three coaches. Each coach can accommodate 320 passengers and a single metro rake can accommodate 970 passengers. MahaMetro had placed an order of 34 rakes with Titagarh Firema, some of which will initially come from Italy while the rest will be cast at a Kolkata-based unit. Titagarh Firema is a wholly-owned Italian subsidiary of Titagarh Wagons. In August 2021,...
The regional power in North Africa Algeria's economy is influenced by its export trade in petroleum and natural gas, despite fluctuations in world prices, which annually contribute roughly one-third of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The economy is expected to recover partially in 2021 from the health and economic crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The creeping movement of vaccination suggests that some containment measures could remain in place in the country until 2022. The North African nation Algeria recorded 20,136 tonnes of aluminium cans importation during 2018-20 and the revenue counted for the import accounted for $118.03 million. In 2018, Algeria’s import of aluminium cans was registered at 3654 tonnes and the expenditure occurred was $23.54 million, whereas, in...
The second-largest country in Europe after Russia, Ukraine has a mixed economic system with limited private freedom, blended with centralized economic planning and government regulation. Ukraine’s economy is all set to rebound to growth in 2021, as reported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Bank further forecasted that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) to rise 3.5% on the year in both 2021 and 2022. However, the major risk to its forecasts is the country’s decelerated progress on reform and vaccination. Ukraine, a nation well-developed with an industrial base exported 6376 tonnes of aluminium household articles during 2018-20 and the revenue generated from the export accounted for $29.48 million. In the Eastern European nation, Ukraine reported...
Project Y719, one of the largest yachts in the world, has finally hit the water at Oceanco, the Netherlands. Built of aluminium super structure, the superyacht is around 117 metre long and is launched from the yard’s Alblasserdam facility. Project Y719 was technically launched in 2019 from Zwijnenburg, one of the construction yards in Oceanco. Later it was moved inside the yard’s outfitting facility in Alblasserdam. The big and bold Y719 is expected to accommodate around 24 guests and 30 crewmembers. Apart from being the world’s largest yacht, the Y719 also holds the reputation of being the biggest water vessel ever built by the Dutch yard. According to the news, another big project named Y721 is on the pipeline, which will be commissioned by Amazon founder Jeff Beroz. According to the...
The island nation, Sri Lanka declared a state of economic emergency on 31st August 2021, as the country dry out of foreign exchange reserves for essential imports like food. The Central Bank of Sri Lanka is the foremost Asian central bank to increase policy rates after the Covid-19 pandemic in regards to rising inflation in August 2021 spawned by currency depreciation. Sri Lanka imported 5107 tonnes of aluminium stranded wire during 2019-20 and the expenditure occurred for the import was $9.13 million. The metal aluminium delivers a better conductivity to weight ratio than copper. Hence it is also utilized for wiring power grids, including overhead power transmission lines and local power distribution lines. In 2019, Lanka’s import of aluminium stranded wire was counted at 3634 tonnes and...
The economy of Turkey is recoiling from a pandemic-influenced slump with close to 10% growth expected in 2021 as manufacturing and consumption escalate, but the resonance is feeding into and in turn, being break down by double-digit inflation. The nation that bridges Europe and Asia, Turkey recorded exports of 49,848 tonnes of aluminium cans during 2018-20 and the earnings occurred from the export accounted for $139.74 million. Turkey’s export in 2018 was documented at 7435 tonnes and the earnings generated from the export was $31.44 million, whereas, in 2019, the export observed a sharp growth by 214.20%, as the export volume leapt to 23,361 tonnes and the earnings surged to $56.04 million. In 2020, the aluminium cans exportation of Turkey is exemplified with de-growth by 20%, as the...
In Eastern Indiana a beverage can company will be building a new factory. The initial process for the new factory has already begun and the new factory is expected to produce around 3.6 billion cans per year. The city of Muncie in the Indiana State of US witnessed the ceremony for the new aluminium can factory, which would be managed by Canpack, the subsidiary of Giorgi Global Holding Inc., a Polish company. According to Canpack, the factory will be able to accommodate around 340 employees. Tom Johnson, Regional Manager of US at CANPACK Group said: “The new factory will help meet the demand for more beverage cans in the U.S.” He further stated that the company is planning to commence its recruitment process by early next year and make the company ready in late 2022. 15 years of property...
