Vedanta to Turn Aluminium Waste into Battery-grade Graphite
Breakthrough Technology to Boost EV Sector, Cut India’s Import Dependence
On National Technology Day 2025, Vedanta Aluminium made a big announcement — it has received a patent for a new technology that recovers high-purity graphite (over 99%) from aluminium industry waste. This is a major step forward for India’s clean tech future.
The innovation supports the theme of this year’s National Technology Day — ‘YANTRA – Yugantar for Advancing New Technology, Research & Acceleration’ — by turning waste into a valuable national resource. The new process reflects India’s push for innovation, sustainability, and self-reliance under initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and the National Critical Minerals Mission.
Vedanta Aluminium, the country’s largest aluminium producer, developed this technology through its in-house R&D team in partnership with the CSIR–Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), Bhubaneswar. It extracts battery-grade graphite from Spent Pot Lining (SPL) and Shot Blast Dust — two common waste materials from aluminium production.
This recovered graphite shows excellent electrical and structural properties, making it ideal for lithium-ion batteries. Its atomic structure supports high-efficiency energy storage and use — perfect for electric vehicles and advanced electronics.
“As India’s need for electric vehicles, energy storage, and smart electronics grows, this breakthrough is a big step forward. It helps reduce our dependence on imports while moving closer to zero-waste, sustainable manufacturing,” said Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Vedanta Aluminium.
In 2024 alone, India imported nearly $41 million worth of natural graphite, putting it among Asia-Pacific’s top three importers alongside Japan and South Korea. This dependence poses a risk to India’s clean energy goals.
Vedanta’s new technology offers a solution by producing graphite from within the country — and from waste — cutting both costs and environmental harm. It also supports India’s long-term goals of building a secure and self-sufficient supply chain for critical minerals used in EV batteries, electronics, and renewable energy systems.
This achievement strengthens India’s position in the global battery and EV market and highlights how Indian industries can lead in deep-tech and green innovation.
