SHRI BAIS INAUGURATES
INTERNATIONAL ALUMINIUM CONFERENCE
The 3-day International
Conference on Aluminium (INCAL'03) began here today with 700 delegates
from India and abroad representing primary and secondary producers,
researchers, academicians and end users. Sponsored by the Ministry
of Mines the conference has been organised by the Aluminium Association
of India (AAI). The Conference, fourth in the series was inaugurated
by the Union Minister for Mines, Shri Ramesh Bais. The main theme
of the conference is "Aluminium - the metal of sustainable growth."
In his inaugural
speech, the Minister outlined the unique properties and diversified
use of aluminium and stressed on increasing the per capita consumption
in the country. It is as low as half a kilogram in India as against
2.9 kg. in China, 3 kg. in Brazil, 4 kg. in Thailand and Malaysia
and 6.4 kg. in Venezuela. He said that aluminium, after its use,
can be recycled repeatedly with less consumption of power. It
is used in household utensils as well as heavy automobiles and
powerful aircrafts.
The
Minister said that this is a promising sector as India's position
in bauxite reserves is fifth in the world and it has enough non-coking
coal for power generation. Its skilled manpower can be best utilized
to raise the production of aluminium in the country which is below
one million tonnes compared to 4 to 4.5 million tonnes in China.
He said that total production of aluminium in the world is nearly
25 million tonnes. The Minister assured all help and cooperation
of the Government to the Aluminium Association of India and its
members in their endeavour to boost the aluminium production in
India. He hoped that the conference would open up new avenues
for growth of the industry in India.
Dr.A.K.Kundra,
Secretary Mines said that INCAL'03 would focus on
the sustainable growth
in the context of aluminium being the metal of the future. It
is a forum for Indian aluminium experts to exchange their views
and learn regarding the global technology developments. The President
of the Association, the Chairman, NALCO Shri C.Venkataramana said
that spread over three days, the conference will have 45 theme
lectures and 40 contributed papers on diverse topics. Nearly 30
papers are from the experts of foreign countries. Nearly 70 overseas
delegates are participating in the conference. The conference
will deliberate on several aspects of primary production, downstream
processes and fabrications, recycling, life cycle analysis, products,
applications and end-users, health, environment and ecology, marketing
and finance.
In the exposition
arranged at the conference the aluminium companies have displayed
their facilities, focussing on every segment of the process, product
and applications chain. It is an ideal market place for equipment
suppliers and technology providers.
Dr.S.K.Tamotia,
CEO Indal, Mr.Gerard Frochot, Sr. Vice President, Aluninium Pechiney,
Shri A.K.Agarwal, Director, Hindalco Industries, Shri Shashi K.Moudgal,
Chairman INCAL-2003; Prof. K.S.S.Murthy, Hony. General Secretary,
AAI and senior officials of the Ministry of Mines and the industry
attended the function.
