“Our ambition is to become a future-ready energy transition company, building strength across multiple metals and critical minerals that support India’s industrial growth and strengthen global supply chains,” she said while addressing shareholders at the company’s 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM).
The company is positioning itself for the next phase of the global energy transition by expanding beyond zinc and foraying into critical minerals, downstream manufacturing and technology-led mining, according to the Chairperson.
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Hebbar said that shifting geopolitics, artificial intelligence, evolving global supply chains and the energy transition are fundamentally reshaping the natural resources sector, increasing the strategic importance of companies that can supply critical minerals responsibly, reliably and at scale.
Highlighting the growing importance of energy transition minerals, Hebbar said that an electric vehicle requires six times as many minerals as a conventional vehicle, while the global market for energy transition minerals is likely to more than double to USD 770 billion by 2040.
“For India, this moment is especially significant. As our economy grows and manufacturing expands, securing critical resources is becoming a strategic priority. India has built real strength across zinc, bauxite, iron ore, aluminium and manganese. But the next frontier lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, the building blocks of clean energy and advanced technology, is where we now need to focus,” Hebbar said.Describing the company’s long-term strategy as Hindustan Zinc 2.0, she said the company is evolving from being the world’s leading integrated zinc producer into a broader energy transition company.
“Our ambition is no longer simply to be the world’s leading integrated zinc producer. Our ambition is to become a future-ready energy transition company, building strength across multiple metals and critical minerals that support India’s industrial growth and strengthen global supply chains,” she said.
As part of this strategy, Hindustan Zinc has secured mineral blocks for tungsten, potash, rare earth elements and halite, marking the beginning of its diversification into critical minerals. The company is also progressing towards doubling its production capacity over time through phased investments while continuing to strengthen its exploration pipeline and maintain mine life well beyond 25 years.
Alongside upstream expansion, Hindustan Zinc is building downstream manufacturing capabilities through its Zinc Parks initiative.
In partnership with Tripura Group and CMR Green Technologies, the company aims to create India’s first integrated zinc manufacturing ecosystem, bringing MSMEs into the value chain, generating employment and supporting the country’s manufacturing ambitions.