Reviving India's Aluminium Industry: Challenges and Solutions

The aluminium extrusion industry is calling for government safeguards to protect domestic units impacted by free trade agreements allowing duty-free imports from Far East countries. The Aluminium Extrusion Manufacturers Association of India highlights the critical need for adherence to quality standards and reduced reliance on substandard imports.

With a significant disparity between the installed production capacity of 3.5 million tonnes and the utilizable 2 million tonnes in the sector, ALEMAI urges the government to implement policies that can bridge this gap. The association advocates for voluntary BIS certification to enhance product quality amid competitive pricing struggles.

Welcoming recent measures like anti-dumping duties on solar imports, ALEMAI President Jitendra Chopra stresses the need for policy support to tackle technical manpower challenges, particularly visa issues affecting Chinese engineers crucial for machinery maintenance, as 99% of machines are imported. This is vital for boosting production capabilities and meeting future demand.

(With inputs from agencies.)