Udaipur, May 15: Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company, and global innovation platform V-Spark DeepTech Ventures successfully hosted ‘Innovation 2026’. The primary goal of this initiative is to generate an additional value of ₹2,000 crore through the application of artificial intelligence in mining, smelting, and manufacturing sectors. During the event, Hindustan Zinc engaged in discussions with major technology giants including Microsoft, Google, Siemens, ABB, Sandvik, and XCMG, and signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with emerging startups. These startups will focus on robotics, asset management, and data analytics to enhance safety and efficiency in factories and mines.
The identified value pool is expected to improve productivity, cost optimization, asset reliability, energy efficiency, safety enhancement, better recovery, and faster decision-making in Hindustan Zinc’s mines, smelters, and related operations. V-Spark aims to extend these next-generation use cases across the manufacturing industry, which is poised for AI-driven improvements. While the manufacturing sector contributes 17% to India’s GDP, it has lagged in adopting digital technologies compared to other sectors.
Through Innovation 2026, V-Spark and Hindustan Zinc are bridging this gap. The initiative is designed to advance Hindustan Zinc’s technology agenda from proof-of-concept to large-scale industrial implementation. This platform, powered by V-Spark DeepTech Ventures, brings together global technology leaders, OEMs, and startups to develop actionable solutions for Hindustan Zinc’s operational challenges. The forum has strengthened the company’s venture-client approach, enabling rapid piloting, validation, and scaling of technology to create measurable business impacts.
During the event, MoUs were signed with XCMG, Sandvik, STL Digital, and Aveva. V-Spark also established agreements with promising startups like Beta Tanks Robotics, Symbioticware AI, Karnali, Uncharted Technologies, Infinite Uptime, Intelliscence.io, and Flutura to prepare for detailed technical evaluations and pilot projects. The main objective of these projects is to assess feasibility, data integration, deployment models, and scalability for the manufacturing sector.
Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson of Hindustan Zinc, stated, “The future of manufacturing will be determined by our ability to scale with intelligence. At Hindustan Zinc, we are embedding technology directly into our operations to demonstrate that an industry traditionally defined by rigidity can be driven by data. Innovation brings together global capability, entrepreneurial innovation, and a scale that can make a real impact on the ground.”
As we advance our Hindustan Zinc 2.0 vision, we are building a 21st-century metal enterprise that ensures our people work safely, minimizes our environmental impact, and sets a global standard for our technology.” The discussions focused on high-impact industrial applications of AI, including predictive maintenance, digital twins, connected operations, autonomous systems, computer vision, industrial data platforms, robotic applications, intelligent process control, and real-time decision intelligence.
Akash Hebbar, Chairman of V-Spark DeepTech Ventures and President of the Vedanta Group, remarked, “The next era of industrial leadership will be driven by AI and a collaborative innovation ecosystem. Through V-Spark DeepTech Ventures, we are creating a platform that connects startups, technology leaders, and operational businesses to address significant industrial challenges at scale. Innovation demonstrates our commitment to advancing from pilot projects to performance, proving that deep tech AI can achieve 3 to 4 times return on investment, making it a highly attainable reality. Similarly, we are building globally standardized, future-ready operations in industries.” Hindustan Zinc also showcased its digital mining and smelting capabilities, including a diverse metal portfolio, tele-remote operations, state-of-the-art winder simulators, and engaging virtual displays of its operations.
The event was attended by industry leaders and technology experts, including Hindustan Zinc CEO Arun Mishra, V-Spark DeepTech Ventures CEO Amitesh Sinha, Siemens Digital Head Metals, Mining & Cement Shibashis Khan, Microsoft India’s Head of Manufacturing and Conglomerates Praveen Panchagnula, and Google India’s Customer CTO Madhu Shekhar, among others. Manojit Halder, India Head of Sandvik, emphasized that the metal and mining sector has reached a critical juncture where digitization, automation, and AI will elevate productivity and competitiveness to the next level. Hindustan Zinc’s approach is particularly noteworthy as they integrate technology with their operational priorities and future plans.
Through platforms like Innovation, industry leaders and technology partners can collaboratively create solutions that are practical and scalable according to future intelligent industrial operations.