Vedanta Aluminium Signs MoU with ICAR-CTCRI to Transform Red Mud into a Sustainable Farming Solution
17th July 2025
- Combining scientific research and industrial innovation, this milestone partnership reimagines red mud – an industrial by-product – as a foundation for sustainable farming, land transformation, and a greener tomorrow.
New Delhi, July 17th, 2025: Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (ICAR-CTCRI). The partnership aims to drive sustainable agriculture and afforestation through the innovative utilization of red mud, a major industrial by-product derived in the process of refining bauxite to alumina powder. This pioneering initiative aims to convert red mud into a nutrient-rich growth medium, unlocking its potential for cultivation, land restoration, and the afforestation of erstwhile red mud storage areas. By leveraging scientific and industrial expertise, the initiative seeks to enhance soil health, boost crop productivity, and support large-scale ecological restoration, turning an environmental challenge into an opportunity for greener growth across India.
While red mud is already repurposed in sectors like construction and cement, Vedanta Aluminium has now begun to transform it into thriving agricultural ecosystems. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Honourable Governor of Kerala, Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. The event was also attended by an esteemed team of ICAR-CTCRI scientists, led by Dr. Byju, Director of ICAR-CTCRI, and comprising Dr. V. Ramesh, Dr. M. Nedunchezhiyan, and Dr. P. Sethuraman Sivakumar, each bringing deep expertise and a commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture across India.
Underscoring its significance in the long-term, Mr. Rajiv Kumar, CEO, Vedanta Aluminium said, “This venture, among many other circular economy avenues in Vedanta, is a testament to our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility. Through this collaboration, Vedanta Aluminium and ICAR-CTCRI are creating an ecological opportunity demonstrating how scientific and industrial synergies can address both environmental and industrial challenges. We are laying the foundation for a future where industrial by-products such as red mud are effectively repurposed as environmental assets, a true ‘Red to Green’ revolution.”
Emphasising the importance of the collaboration, Dr. Byju, Director, ICAR-CTCRI, said, “This collaboration marks a significant milestone, combining ICAR-CTCRI’s robust agricultural research capabilities with Vedanta’s massive scale and industrial expertise. By working together, we hope to deliver innovative, scalable, and eco-friendly solutions that will benefit farmers, communities, and the environment alike.”
Previously, Vedanta Aluminium, has developed a breakthrough process that reduces bauxite residue (red mud) by 30% during alumina refining, while boosting alumina yield and lowering energy use. The innovation, driven by Vedanta’s R&D team in collaboration with IIT Kharagpur and supported by its Lanjigarh unit in Odisha, marks a major step toward greater resource efficiency and sustainability in aluminium production. Additionally, the company is also the first in India to achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) by fully extracting and recycling water from bauxite residue slurry. The dried residue is securely stored in a scientifically managed Bauxite Residue Reservoir, preventing groundwater contamination. Vedanta also pioneered the country’s first Bauxite Residue Processing Plant to enable this sustainable practice.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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