Nalco’s team to visit Middle East to study world-class aluminium industry practices

Challenging times present businesses with opportunities to introspect and revisit their strategies that help them overcome corporate myopia and think about future in a more sustainable manner. National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco), in a bid to stay profitable in the long run, is accordingly planning to boost the ancillary industries in Odisha. The company said it is planning to send a team of experts to the Middle East to conduct a study on world-class practices in the upstream and downstream aluminium industry domains.

"While Nalco is taking a lead in many issues pertaining to the industrial development of Odisha, the company is ready to take a call for the enhancement of quality up-gradation of the ancillary industries,” said Nalco Chief Managing Director T K Chand while addressing the first Executive Committee Meeting of the Utkal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (UCCI). In response, UCCI proposed to send Nalco team to the Middle East.

"Micro-medium-small enterprises are now expected to produce the required quantity and high quality products, so as to enable themselves to seize the opportunities under the new Industrial Policy of the state government and as a responsible corporate, Nalco is keen to provide all kinds of support," Chand added.

Nalco and Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Idco) are jointly developing the aluminium park at Angul. It is being developed through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) named Angul Aluminium Park Private Ltd (AAPPL), with shareholding of 50.50 per cent and 49.50 per cent between Idco and Nalco, respectively.

The proposed park will come up over 450 acres of land. About 160 acres of land has been acquired where the first phase will be developed, sources in MSME (micro, small & medium enterprises) department said.

The ancillary units to be set up at the park are likely to include aluminium conductors, extrusions, castings, foils, powder and paste manufacturing plants.