Vienna-based RHI Magnesita, a worldwide leader in refractory products, systems, and solutions, has called on the Indian government to adopt strategic policies aimed at diversifying the supply sources of critical refractory-grade minerals. This initiative aims to secure the raw material supply necessary for the country’s sustainable growth.
Gustavo Franco, the company’s Chief Customer Officer, emphasized this need during the India-Austria Business Meet, which took place as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Vienna.
RHI Magnesita also advocated for policies that would restrict the environmentally harmful practice of landfilling used refractories and instead promote recycling. Such measures would ensure a steady supply of secondary raw materials for the industry and support the development of a circular economy.
Shedding light on the same, Parmod Sagar, Managing Director and CEO of RHI Magnesita India Ltd stated, “Refractory products and solutions are critical for the production of steel, cement, glass, aluminum, energy, and all such products that require high-temperature manufacturing processes.”
He added, “India, purely for geological reasons, lacks domestic sources for critical raw materials like refractory grade Magnesite and Alumina. With very high import dependency, it is imperative to have a diversified sourcing network for supply security to ensure long term sustainability of the Make in India drive.”
For the unversed, India is already at the forefront of recycling in the refractories sector due to its limited raw material reserves. However, there is significant untapped potential, as thousands of tonnes of valuable used refractory material are currently sent to landfills.
This practice not only harms the environment but also leads to the substantial waste of precious raw materials. RHI Magnesita has called for preventive policies to curb landfilling.
Such measures would protect the environment, enhance the reuse of critical raw materials, and promote recycling. These efforts would benefit the entire industry, including India’s steel sector, by improving the CO2 footprint and ensuring raw material security through circular economy solutions.
Parmod emphasized that RHI Magnesita India fully supports PM Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and will continue to play a pivotal role in India’s growth.
The company has committed around 400 million euros (Rs 3600 crore) in phased investments by FY 2026 to enhance and modernize its production capacity in India.
Of this amount, approximately 300 million euros have been spent in the past two years to build local capacity, resulting in over 500,000 tons of local refractory production capacity in India.
