Industry representatives and regional stakeholders have welcomed a recent order of the Madras High Court permitting Vedanta’s Sterlite Copper unit to submit a fresh application for its proposed green copper plant in Thoothukudi, viewing the development as a potential boost for cleaner industrial practices, regional economic recovery, and India’s long-term copper strategy.
The First Bench of the Madras High Court, headed by Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan, allowed Sterlite Copper to approach the competent authorities with a new proposal for the plant. The court directed that the matter be listed on January 29, 2026, along with a related petition filed in 2019, while clarifying that the pendency of the case would not prevent regulators from independently examining and deciding on any fresh application submitted by the company.
Observers have described the order as effectively reopening the regulatory process, enabling authorities to assess a revised production model that claims alignment with global environmental norms and India’s rising copper demand. The demand is being driven by sectors such as electric mobility, renewable energy, electronics, and infrastructure.
Responding to the court’s directive, Srikanth Rajagopalan, Chief Operating Officer of Finergy Transport Finance Limited, stated that cleaner copper production could have implications beyond a single facility by strengthening domestic supply resilience and supporting long-term industrial development.
According to information shared by the company, “green copper” refers to copper produced through significantly cleaner and more resource-efficient processes, including lower emissions, reduced waste, and improved water and energy efficiency. As part of the proposed transition, Sterlite Copper plans to move from a fully concentrate-based smelting process to a hybrid system using about 70% copper concentrate and 30% recycled copper. The company has indicated that the shift would be supported by advanced technologies sourced from Germany and Sweden, integrating circular economy principles and reducing the overall environmental footprint compared to conventional smelting.
The proposal also highlights community-oriented measures alongside environmental goals. These include plans to share surplus treated water with nearby villages, establish structured mechanisms for community participation through a local management committee, and create a dedicated corpus for sustained local development initiatives.
S Thyagarajan, president of the Thoothukudi People’s Livelihood Protection Association, said the proposed plant could help restore livelihoods in the region, noting that thousands of families depend directly and indirectly on industrial activity. He indicated that reopening the facility with cleaner technology could revive direct employment and support allied industries.
Placing the development in a national context, Mayur Karmarkar, a member of the International Copper Association India, said copper was essential for a decarbonising economy and that an environmentally responsible domestic supply was necessary to avoid price volatility and support India’s growth trajectory.
Source: DTNext
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