Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer, operates in a high-risk, resource-intensive sector where efficiency, sustainability, and safety are paramount. Under the leadership of Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium, the company has embarked on an ambitious digital transformation journey, embedding AI, IIoT, and advanced technologies across the value chain — from mining to metal production.
“At Vedanta Aluminium, we’ve always believed that transformation begins with intent. As India’s largest aluminium producer operating in a high-risk, resource-intensive industry, our vision has been to lead not just in scale, but in intelligence, sustainability, and resilience,” says Kumar. “By embedding AI, IIoT, and advanced digital technologies across operations, we are optimising inventory management, resource planning, and demand forecasting in real time—reducing waste and ensuring seamless supply chain performance.”
Digital twins and advanced analytics are helping Vedanta Aluminium enhance process precision and accelerate decision-making. Safety and sustainability remain at the heart of this digitalisation agenda. AI-powered drones, geofencing, and telematics systems are now providing real-time monitoring in high-risk zones, significantly improving operational control and compliance with environmental standards. Initiatives like the Ash Control Tower at BALCO are concrete examples of how the company is applying technology for operational excellence. Looking ahead, Vedanta plans to scale predictive analytics and machine learning even further to deliver greater efficiency and customer value.
Digital twins and predictive maintenance at scale
Vedanta Aluminium is proud to be the first in India — and only the third globally — to deploy digital twin-based Digital Smelter technology at its Jharsuguda plant, the world’s largest single-location aluminium smelter. This advanced system integrates digital twins with predictive and prescriptive analytics to remotely monitor and control potline operations, optimise energy efficiency, and reduce wastage.
The impact is significant: even a 1% reduction in specific power consumption can translate to savings of $4–5 million annually for every one million tonnes of aluminium production. By processing historical and real-time data, the system provides actionable insights, from pot health alerts to virtual sensor-based recommendations. Thousands of hours of unplanned downtime have already been eliminated, maintenance cycles optimised, and asset availability improved. Predictive models forecast potential equipment failures, enabling interventions before disruption occurs — making operations not just smarter, but also safer.
Smarter asset management with IoT and AI
Smarter asset management is another area where Vedanta Aluminium is leading. Its patented Vedanta Lining Design for aluminium smelting pots reduces energy consumption by 200–250 kWh per tonne of aluminium and can cut up to 386,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually at the Jharsuguda smelter.
IIoT systems at thermal power plants enable real-time emissions monitoring, ensuring compliance with environmental standards, while biomass co-firing at the Lanjigarh refinery cuts over 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent every year. On the water front, IoT-enabled cooling water analysis at Jharsuguda optimises water reuse, significantly reducing freshwater withdrawal and improving plant efficiency.
Together, these initiatives reinforce Vedanta Aluminium’s sustainability agenda, including its long-term goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
AI-driven drones for safety in mining
Mining environments are inherently high-risk, but Vedanta Aluminium is leveraging machine learning–powered surveillance and AI-driven drones to make them safer. These drones provide 360-degree real-time monitoring, detecting people, animals, or vehicles within a 500-meter blasting zone to minimise human exposure to risk. Thermal drones are also being piloted to identify coal ignition hotspots, preventing combustion incidents and material loss.
Predictive analytics and ML-driven geological modelling further enhance blasting precision, resource allocation, and operational safety. “These technologies enhance worker safety, boost precision, and advance our commitment to responsible, sustainable, and resilient mining practices,” points out Kumar.
Human–machine synergy: Empowering people through technology
While automation is central to Vedanta Aluminium’s digital strategy, the company is equally focused on human–machine synergy.
“The future of mining and metals is not just about automation, it is about creating an environment where technology augments human potential rather than replaces it,” affirms Kumar.
Employees are being equipped with future-ready skills through structured training, AR/VR-based modules, and digital dashboards that support real-time decision-making. Productivity gains of up to 30% are being realised while frontline workers are increasingly taking on the role of innovators. This cultural shift — where technology is seen as an ally, not a threat — is essential to sustaining transformation.
Vedanta Spark: Open innovation at work
Central to Vedanta Aluminium’s innovation journey is Vedanta Spark, an initiative that has collaborated with over 70 startups on more than 100 projects spanning drone surveillance, predictive maintenance, and smart material handling.
“Vedanta Spark gives us access to some of the brightest startups and deep-tech innovators, who come in with solutions that are agile, scalable, and impact-driven. The model works because it creates a partnership between startup speed and Vedanta scale,” Kumar explains.
Examples include predictive diagnostics for equipment health, GPS-enabled tracking to monitor truck movement and reduce pilferage, and AI-driven analytics for minimising downtime. These partnerships demonstrate how open innovation can accelerate enterprise-wide transformation.
The future: Generative AI, autonomous robots, and circularity
Looking ahead, Kumar envisions a future shaped by emerging AI and automation technologies. “I’m particularly excited about generative AI for dynamic operations planning, autonomous robots for high-risk environments, and AI-led circularity solutions that will take our resource efficiency to the next level,” he says. Self-learning control systems and multi-agent AI models that optimise plant operations in real time are also on the horizon.
India’s mining sector is rapidly evolving, driven by regulatory reforms, rising energy demand, and infrastructure growth. Next-generation AI and automation will be critical not only for boosting production, improving safety, and reducing costs, but also for creating livelihood opportunities and supporting India’s economic growth ambition.
Vedanta Aluminium’s journey illustrates how a traditional, resource-intensive sector can reinvent itself through bold digital adoption. By balancing technology with human ingenuity, and scale with sustainability, the company is setting a benchmark for the future of mining and metals — intelligent, resilient, and deeply responsible.