Aditya Birla Group-owned Hindalco Industries has forayed into electric vehicle (EV) component manufacturing on April 25. The mining company of KM Birla-chaired Aditya Birla Group will set up a manufacturing unit in Pune’s Chakan and has planned to make an investment worth Rs 500 crore towards it. The unit will focus on catering to the rising demand for lightweight, crash-resistant battery solutions.
“Our Chakan facility represents a strategic shift in India’s EV ecosystem from import dependence to high-performance, localised aluminium solutions,” Satish Pai, MD, Hindalco Industries, said in a statement.
The unit is projected to generate up to 1,000 jobs and aligns strongly with the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision to reduce dependence on imports, the company said in a statement.
Besides this, the company announced partnership with Mahindra & Mahindra to deliver 10,000 efficient and sustainable aluminium battery enclosure solutions to the latter. The company said in a statement that the unit will have gender-diverse workforce, with nearly 100% women machine operators, highlighting its emphasis on inclusivity.
“Mahindra is excited to partner with Hindalco in the creation of the EV journey. Their expertise in developing materials and strong engineering capabilities to offer new solutions have played a key role in developing efficient and sustainable battery enclosure solution,” said ED and CEO, Auto and Farm Sector, M&M, Rajesh Jejurikar. The partnership will play a key role in shaping the future of mobility, delivery cutting-edge solutions that will accelerate electrification in the sector, Jejurikar added.
This development marks another major entry by the Aditya Birla Group. Earlier in February this year, the KM Birla-chaired conglomerate forayed into the cable and wires business via its cement company Ultratech with an investment worth Rs 1,800 crore. The group will compete against players like Havells India, Polycab India, Finolex Cables, RR Kabel and KEI Industries.
