“India’s construction sector is expected to be the third largest in the world after China and the US, with an expected overall value of USD 1.4 trillion by 2025,” Rahul Sharma, CEO, Vedanta Limited – Aluminium Business

Rahul Sharma is the Chief Executive Officer of Vedanta's Aluminium Business. Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Vedanta's Alumina Business and also held the position of Director of Corporate Strategy for Vedanta's Aluminium and Power Business. He joined Vedanta in 1998 and has held various leadership positions at Vedanta Limited and Sterlite Technologies Limited. Before joining Vedanta, he was Chief Marketing Officer (Domestic and International) and Business Head of System Integration Business at Sterlite Technologies Limited.

He is one of the principal figures of India's Metal & Mining industry and has been playing a significant role in driving various policies and creating a strategic framework for numerous government reforms for the sustainable development of exploration, mining, and non-ferrous metal sector in the country. Rahul is also the office bearer of various eminent industry associations, including the current President of the Aluminium Association of India (AAI), Chairman of the Indian Captive Power Producers Association (ICPPA), and Co-Chair of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Mining Committee.

For his exemplary leadership, he has been conferred with various awards and accolades, including 'The Extraordinaire – Business Leader 2020-21' at the Brand Vision Summit 2022, 'People's CEO of the Year 2020' and `Business Leader of the Year  - 2017' at International Conference on Non-Ferrous Metals-2017 for his contribution to India's Metal and Mining industry.

To know his interview with us, read the short excerpt.

AL Circle: How familiar is the industry with Vedanta Aluminium's role in revolutionising the construction sector?

Rahul Sharma: Vedanta Aluminium is India’s largest aluminium producer, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.29 million tonnes in FY23. As India’s largest producer of value-added products that find critical applications in core industries, we are catering to the customised demand of our customers in the construction sector. Unwavering focus on customer technical services support, R&D and innovation has made it possible for us to offer product solutions and customizations perfectly tailored to the needs of the construction industry. Our world-class billet casting facilities use state-of-the-art Wagstaff Hot Top Air Slip casting technology, one of the best in the world. Moreover, we have partnered with global experts in billets and extrusions who work with us to create step-change enhancements in our offerings, making them truly unparalleled. With our robust value chain, engineering prowess, and technological edge, we are well-resourced to create significant value for the building & construction industry, with the firm belief that aluminium is the future of construction and architecture.

AL Circle: How is Vedanta Aluminium’s product portfolio catering to the needs of the building and construction sector?

Rahul Sharma: We offer a wide variety of high-quality aluminium products for downstream manufacturers and extruders in the form of billets and rolled products. These are then extruded into structural components which are further fabricated for usage in a diverse range of applications like reinforcements, roofing, floating ceilings, windows, doors, and many more. In fact, our magnesium-silicon alloys in billets are preferred among extruders as it is conducive to manufacturing the most intricate architectural shapes. With our 580kT billet casting capacity per annum, we are India's largest producer and exporter of top-quality aluminium billets. Furthermore, we have also launched India’s first ‘green aluminium’ brand Restora, aimed at meeting the fast-growing demand from our customers for aluminium with a low carbon footprint. Our product range is the first in India to receive all applicable certifications offered by the Bureau of Indian Standards. Our range of primary aluminium products has also been verified to be environmentally sustainable by Environment Product Declaration (EPD) International, ensuring that for our customers, sustainability starts at the very source.

AL Circle: What is Vedanta Aluminium’s outlook for the construction sector and the usage of aluminium?

Rahul Sharma: India’s construction sector is expected to be the third largest in the world after China and the US, with an expected overall value of USD 1.4 trillion by 2025. According to Invest India, the construction market output in India is expected to grow at 7.1% each year by 2025, driven by critical government projects such as Smart Cities, industrial corridors, data centres, and increasing demand for cold storage and commercial spaces. Almost 25% of the aluminium produced worldwide is used within the construction industry. This is owing to aluminium’s unique & versatile properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio, exceptional design flexibility, corrosion resistance, climate resilience, infinite recyclability, etc. Smart Cities, Smart Buildings and Sustainable Infrastructure and Architecture – all of these are areas that will see the intensive usage of aluminium and its alloys in the coming years.  In fact, aluminium-intensive buildings are at the forefront of the ongoing transition to ‘green buildings which focus on either reducing or eliminating any impact on the environment.

AL Circle: What specific advantages do you believe aluminium has over other metals in the construction sector?

Rahul Sharma: Aluminium is the second most-used metal in infrastructural projects today and ranges from commercial buildings to domestic dwellings. The malleable and ductile nature allows aluminium to be formed into nearly any shape, making it extremely popular for structural applications and building components such as high tensile reinforcements in the form of bars and rods, doors, windows, sliding, roofing, decorations, etc. With its high strength-to-weight ratio, aluminium also offers durability while being an inherently lightweight material. When used as a base metal in construction, aluminium structures weigh 35-65% less than traditional metals, offering use in a wider range of applications. For example, modern aluminium alloys can effectively support the considerable weight of heavy glass spans, a common feature in buildings designed to harness natural light for energy efficiency. Such features have led to aluminium’s wide use in ‘green’ buildings. Aluminium’s high reflectivity is another key feature that makes the metal an ideal roofing material for construction purposes. This property allows it to reflect solar energy and avoid absorbing too much radiant heat, making it easier to keep interiors cooler in summers and warmer in winters.

Globally, there are about 3,000 technological applications of aluminium across various industries, whereas India has explored only about 300 denoting the potential value addition the metal can bring to various industries. The construction industry stands to gain significantly from domestically sourcing high-quality aluminium for co-creating new products and specialized alloys. Aluminium, rightly regarded as the ‘metal of the future’, is well positioned to fuel the construction sector’s journey beyond Smart Cities towards Smart India and achieve infrastructural excellence.