NALCO’s ‘Smart Mining’ conference focuses on digital innovation in aluminium sector
By Swagatika Mohapatra
Bhubaneswar, June 1: National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) on Friday hosted a high-profile conference on smart mining and manufacturing in Bhubaneswar. The conference centred around the theme ‘Smart Aluminium: Driving Operational Excellence through Industry 4.0.’
The event brought together prominent industry leaders, technology experts, policymakers, and academicians to deliberate on the transformative role of digital innovation in the aluminium sector and broader manufacturing industries.
Inaugurating the conference, Brijendra Pratap Singh, Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of NALCO, underscored the critical importance of adopting Industry 4.0 technologies to enhance operational efficiency, competitiveness, and sustainability. He highlighted how progressive government initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and support for start-ups are fostering self-reliance in the industrial ecosystem.
“India, now the world’s fourth-largest economy, is witnessing a surge in investment and infrastructure development, propelling the growth of core industries and manufacturing sectors. Embracing digitalisation is no longer optional but essential for maintaining global competitiveness,” Singh remarked.
Jagdish Arora, director (production & technical) at NALCO, described Industry 4.0 as a game-changing industrial revolution, driven by breakthroughs in automation, artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics, that is redefining value creation in manufacturing and mining operations.
The conference was graced by Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Vedanta Aluminium Limited, as the distinguished guest, while Sarajit Jha, chief of business transformation and digital solutions at Tata Steel, joined virtually as the keynote speaker, sharing insights on digital transformation journeys in the metals and mining sector.
Among other notable speakers were Pankaj Kumar Sharma, Director (Production), and Dr Tapas Kumar Pattanayak, Director (HR) of NALCO, who offered perspectives on aligning human resources and production systems with emerging digital trends.
Industry leaders and experts from Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), Tata Steel, Vedanta, Deloitte India, EY-Parthenon, and McKinsey & Company also participated, contributing to discussions on strategies for accelerating Industry 4.0 adoption.
The conference featured engaging tech sessions, panel discussions, and demonstrations on AI applications, big data analytics, smart manufacturing solutions, and digital mining technologies. It served as a collaborative platform for technocrats, researchers, and policymakers to exchange ideas and chart the way forward for the aluminium sector’s digital future.
