You dont have javascript enabled! Please enable it! MIDHANI Bolsters India’s Aerospace Capabilities with 2nd Titanium Plant in Hyderabad - Indian Defence Research Wing
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SOURCE: AFI

On June 1, 2025, Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), a Hyderabad-based Defence Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Defence, inaugurated its second Titanium Plant in Hyderabad. This facility, heralded as India’s largest state-of-the-art plant for producing aerospace-grade titanium alloys, marks a significant step toward self-reliance in advanced materials for the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.

The plant was inaugurated by Shri Sanjeev Kumar, IAS, Secretary of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, Government of India, who praised MIDHANI’s contributions to the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. This new facility is designed to produce high-quality titanium alloys, which are critical for aerospace applications due to their exceptional strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures. These alloys are essential for manufacturing components such as airframes, jet engines, and structural parts for advanced aircraft like the Tejas Mk2, for which MIDHANI has already begun supplying materials.

MIDHANI has long been a cornerstone of India’s defence manufacturing, specializing in superalloys, titanium, and special steels. The company’s Hyderabad operations already include advanced facilities like Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) furnaces, with the capacity to produce titanium ingots up to 6.5 tons, and a Wide Plate Mill capable of processing titanium and other alloys into plates up to 3,000 mm wide. The new Titanium Plant builds on this expertise, incorporating cutting-edge technology to meet the stringent standards of the aerospace industry. It is expected to enhance MIDHANI’s ability to produce titanium alloys like TITAN 26A and TITAN 29A, which have been indigenously developed in collaboration with the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) and are used in critical components for engines like those in the Jaguar and Kaveri aircraft.

The strategic importance of this facility cannot be overstated. Titanium alloys are vital for modern aerospace applications, and until recently, India relied heavily on imports for such materials. With this new plant, MIDHANI aims to reduce that dependency, positioning India among a select group of nations capable of producing aero-grade titanium alloys domestically. This aligns with broader national goals of self-sufficiency in defence production, especially as India pushes forward with indigenous projects like the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

However, the establishment of this plant also raises questions about scalability and global competitiveness. While MIDHANI’s efforts are commendable, the global titanium market is dominated by countries like the United States, Russia, and China, which have decades of experience and larger production capacities. For instance, Aerolloy Technologies, a private Indian company, recently commissioned a VAR furnace in Lucknow with a capacity of 1,500 metric tons annually, signaling growing domestic competition. MIDHANI will need to ensure that its new facility not only meets domestic demand but also positions India as a viable exporter of titanium alloys, a challenge that will require consistent investment in technology and quality control.

Moreover, the environmental impact of titanium production, which involves energy-intensive processes like the Kroll method for extracting titanium from its ores, remains a concern. MIDHANI has not publicly detailed how it plans to address the carbon footprint of its expanded operations, an issue that could draw scrutiny as global standards for sustainable manufacturing tighten.

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