Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) is an Indian aluminium producer headquartered in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It manufactures primary aluminium and value-added aluminium products, including ingots, billets, wire rods, and rolled products. BALCO operates an integrated complex comprising bauxite mining interests, alumina refining, aluminium smelting, and captive power generation. It is a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, part of the Vedanta Resources group.
| Name | Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aluminium and non-ferrous metals |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Headquarters | Korba, Chhattisgarh, India |
| Parent | Vedanta Limited |
| Other shareholder | Government of India |
| Products | Aluminium ingots, billets, wire rods, rolled products |
BALCO was incorporated in 1965 as a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India. The company was established to develop India's domestic capacity in primary aluminium production, an industry of strategic importance for power transmission, transport, packaging, and defence applications. Its principal production complex was set up at Korba in what was then Madhya Pradesh, a location chosen for its proximity to bauxite reserves and coal-based power resources. After the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000, the Korba operations fell within the new state.
BALCO's facilities at Korba include an aluminium smelter, a fabrication plant, and captive thermal power plants that supply electricity to the energy-intensive smelting process. The company also holds bauxite mining interests in central India to support its alumina and aluminium value chain. Its product portfolio is supplied to sectors such as electrical transmission, automotive, construction, packaging, and defence.
BALCO is among India's older primary aluminium producers and contributed to building indigenous capacity in non-ferrous metals during the early decades of Indian industrial planning. Its 2001 privatisation was one of the first major strategic sales of a central public sector enterprise and set important legal and policy precedents for subsequent disinvestment in India.