Partnership aims to restart the Gujarat Copper Plant, increase domestic copper production and strengthen India’s critical minerals ecosystem
NEW DELHI : Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) has signed a concessional/revenue-sharing agreement with Lohum Materials Private Limited (LOHUM) to revive and turn around its Gujarat Copper Plant.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi on August 31, 2026, in the presence of senior officials from both organisations, including the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Hindustan Copper Limited and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LOHUM.
Focus on Reviving Gujarat Copper Plant
The partnership is aimed at facilitating the revival and turnaround of HCL’s Gujarat Copper Plant, which is expected to contribute to India’s efforts to expand domestic copper production.
The agreement provides a framework for collaboration between HCL and LOHUM through a concessional and revenue-sharing arrangement, with the objective of putting the plant’s assets to productive use and strengthening the domestic copper value chain.
The revival of the facility is expected to support increased availability of copper within the country and reduce dependence on imports over the longer term.
Strengthening India’s Copper Ecosystem
Copper is an important industrial metal with applications across power transmission, renewable energy, electric vehicles, electronics, telecommunications, construction and manufacturing.
With India’s demand for copper expected to rise alongside infrastructure development, electrification and the expansion of clean-energy technologies, strengthening domestic production and processing capacity has become increasingly important.
The HCL-LOHUM partnership is therefore expected to support the broader development of India’s critical metal ecosystem.
Strategic Importance for Domestic Production
The agreement comes amid growing efforts to strengthen India’s domestic supply chains for strategically important minerals and metals.
A stronger domestic copper ecosystem can provide greater supply security to industries that rely heavily on copper and copper-based products.
The proposed revival of the Gujarat Copper Plant could also help improve utilisation of existing industrial infrastructure while contributing to the country’s wider manufacturing and industrial-development objectives.
HCL and LOHUM Partnership
Hindustan Copper Limited, a public-sector enterprise under the Ministry of Mines, is India’s only vertically integrated copper producer, with operations spanning mining, beneficiation, smelting and refining.
LOHUM Materials is engaged in the materials and critical-minerals ecosystem, with a focus on technologies and processes associated with battery materials and metal recovery.
The agreement brings together HCL’s experience and infrastructure in the copper sector with LOHUM’s capabilities in materials and resource-recovery technologies.
Expected Impact
The collaboration is expected to have several potential benefits:
- Revival and productive utilisation of the Gujarat Copper Plant.
- Increase in domestic copper production capacity.
- Strengthening of India’s copper supply chain.
- Better utilisation of existing industrial infrastructure.
- Support for industries dependent on copper and related materials.
- Contribution towards a stronger domestic critical-metal ecosystem.
- Potential reduction in India’s dependence on imported copper and related materials.
Partnership Comes at a Critical Time
India’s transition towards renewable energy, electric mobility, digital infrastructure and advanced manufacturing is expected to increase demand for copper and other critical metals.
Copper plays a crucial role in electrical and energy infrastructure because of its high electrical conductivity and durability.
Against this backdrop, efforts to revive existing copper-production assets could become an important part of India’s strategy to strengthen domestic metal availability.
The HCL-LOHUM agreement is consequently being viewed as a significant step towards revitalising the Gujarat Copper Plant and supporting India’s long-term objective of building a more resilient and self-reliant critical-metal ecosystem.
