| Hindalco Industries of the Aditya Birla Group, which is looking at aluminium alloys as an important value-addition to its business, sees automobile and aviation industries as the two important areas that would drive its new foray.
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| Novelis, the Canadian subsidiary of Alcan Inc, which was acquired by Hindalco this year, owns the niche technology that creates special aluminium alloy that replaces steel in cars.
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| According to D Bhattacharya, vice-chairman, Novelis, the company brings special technologies that could add value to the overall operations of Hindalco.
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| Though it would take some time before car makers in India replace steel with aluminium, car makers in Europe are already using this technology. The technology makes an Audi much lighter than Maruti 800.
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| “Weight of personal utility vehicles is going to be an important aspect of the overall strategy in controlling the green house gas emissions in the developed world, where aluminium alloy is going to play a big role,” he said.
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| The special technology alloy is expected to make a car over 40 per cent expensive than the normal car made with steel. But, it would provide as much strength and shaping capability as steel.
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| “As the consumption grows the cost of these special metal would come down finding its way into emerging countries like India,” he said.
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| Meanwhile, Hindalco is investing about Rs 150 crore in Hindalco Almex Alloys Limited (HAAL), a joint venture company between Hindalco and Almex of US, to develop high-strength aluminium alloys for the aviation industry.
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| Hindalco holds 70 per cent equity in the project, which is coming up in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, and is expected to be ready in a year. The plant is expected to become close to a Rs 700-crore company once it reaches full capacity.
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| “Aviation offers high business potential as the sector is growing at 15-20 per cent annually,” Shashi K Maudgal, executive president (marketing), Hindalco, said. |
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