Hindalco eyes aluminium packaging and transport containers sector to increase the metal use

As the leading aluminium rolled products manufacturer, Hindalco Industries Limited is reportedly betting big on the packaging and transport containers sector, said a top company official on Tuesday, November 19.  The move is to accelerate the per capita use of aluminium in India, which is at 2.6 kg at the present. The domestic packaging industry is at $5 billion and is growing at around 25 per cent annually.

"Per capita intake of aluminium is just 2.6 kg now, while in China it is 30 kg. So we see a huge opportunity in both packaging, cans and transport industry and we are looking to expand in these areas going forward. We expect to hold 40-45 percent of the downstream market," managing director Satish Pai said.

In the transportation business, the company plans to manufacture aluminium containers for bulker carriers and trailers, which will help the goods transport industry bring down the cost as the light-weight aluminium containers are capable of carrying more payload.

Almost all good containers are built of steel now that increases the tonnage of the truck.

For the packaging business, Hindalco has already partnered with the Jute Corporation to make recyclable packaging material, in a bid to reduce single-use plastic.

The company said they recently launched India's first aluminium-foil-laminated jute bags, as a first step, for Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the trust that manages the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple in Andhra Pradesh.

"Going forward, we aspire to make aluminium the 'smart metal of choice' by showcasing it as a supermaterial, with innate properties of strength, lightweight, anti-corrosion and 100 percent recyclability," Pai said, adding they will soon roll this out to other temples and industries as well as a smart and sustainable packaging option.

There is already a strong response to the aluminium-foil jute bags and 60,000 bags have been sold so far, said Hindalco further.