RHI Magnesita seeks policy measures for refractory raw material supply security in India

RHI Magnesita, the global leader in the manufacturing and supply of refractory products, systems, and solutions, has appealed to the Government of India for strategic policy initiatives to diversify the sourcing of critical refractory grade minerals to ensure raw material supply security for the sustainable growth of the country. This was pressed upon by Gustavo Franco, Chief Customer Officer of the company, during the India-Austria Business meeting held recently as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Austrian capital, Vienna. The company has also requested policy measures to restrict the environmentally harmful landfilling of used refractories and promote recycling, which ensures the availability of secondary raw materials for the industry and contributes towards building a circular economy.

Parmod Sagar, Managing Director and CEO of RHI Magnesita India Ltd. said, “Refractory products and solutions are critical for the production of steel, cement, glass, aluminium, energy and all such products that require high-temperature manufacturing processes. India, purely for geological reasons, lacks domestic sources for critical raw materials like refractory grade magnesite and alumina. With very high import dependency, it is imperative to have a diversified sourcing network for supply security to ensure long-term sustainability of the Make in India drive.”  

India is already a pioneer in recycling in the refractories sector due to its low reserves of raw materials. However, there is still enormous potential, as thousands of tonnes of used but valuable refractory material are thrown into landfills. Landfilling is not only extremely damaging to the environment, but it also results in the enormous waste of precious raw materials. The company has asked for preventive policy measures on landfilling. This would protect the environment, level up the reuse of important raw materials and push recycling. The entire industry - including the steel industry in India- would improve its CO2 footprint while ensuring further raw-material security through circular economy solutions.

Parmod reiterated that RHI Magnesita India fully aligns with PM Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) vision and will continue playing a crucial role in India’s growth story. The company has committed approximately 400 million euros (INR 3600 Cr) of phased investment by FY 2026 to build and modernise its production capacity in India. Out of this, it has spent about 300 million euros in the last two years in India to build local capacity. It now has more than 500,000 tonnes of local refractory production capacity in India.

RHI Magnesita India Ltd. manufactures and supplies high-grade refractory products, systems, and solutions critical for high-temperature processes exceeding 1,200°C in various industries, including steel, cement, non-ferrous metals, and glass. These include magnesia and alumina-based bricks, mixes for large industrial customers, and speciality refractory products like isostatic products and slide gates.