Three days of plenaries, parallel tracks and networking across the physical and financial commodity spectrum.
Day-wise Programme
The full three-day programme across Lotus Hall 2 and Lotus Hall 3, including plenaries, parallel tracks, report releases and networking. Speaker line-ups are being confirmed and will be added shortly.
The session will examine the long-term demand outlook for key base metals through 2030, driven by the energy transition, infrastructure development, and industrial growth. It will explore India's capacity expansion plans, policy support, investment pipeline towards Viksit Bharat 2047, supply security, emerging demand and production hubs, while also discussing the need for robust price benchmarking and Good Delivery standards to enhance market transparency and global competitiveness.
The session will discuss the key demand drivers for primary aluminium across infrastructure, power, and automotive sectors, while examining domestic capacity expansion, cost competitiveness, and the evolving primary-secondary supply balance. It will also explore export opportunities, the impact of global tariffs and carbon policies, and the growing demand for green aluminium and downstream products such as extrusions, conductors, and flat products.
The session will explore the growing role of secondary aluminium in meeting India's rising demand, with a focus on automotive and die-casting applications, scrap availability, and the need for a formal, quality-compliant recycling ecosystem. It will also discuss primary-secondary pricing dynamics, the impact of import duties and global scrap trade shifts, and policy measures required to strengthen the domestic recycling industry.
The session will focus on managing metal price and currency volatility through exchange-based hedging tools and effective risk management strategies. It will highlight hedging practices adopted by Indian producers, traders, and consumers, supported by practical case studies and the role of market intelligence in informed trading decisions.
The session will examine the key factors influencing non-ferrous metal prices, including regional premiums, import parity, changing demand across end-use sectors, and raw material availability. It will also discuss primary-secondary substitution trends, evolving cost structures, and the short-term risks and opportunities shaping domestic and global metal markets.
The session will explore India's strategy to strengthen critical mineral security by reducing import dependence through domestic mining, processing, and refining capacities. It will also discuss the role of overseas resource acquisitions, KABIL initiatives, recycling and circular supply chains, and the policy framework needed to ensure long-term mineral security for the country.
The session will assess the outlook for the copper market by examining demand from the power, EV, and grid sectors, alongside challenges in mine supply, concentrate availability, and TC/RC pressures. It will also discuss the sustainability of smelting capacity expansion and the key factors influencing copper prices amid changing market fundamentals and macroeconomic volatility.
The session will explore the evolving dynamics of the copper scrap market, focusing on scrap availability, quality compliance, and the transition towards a more formal recycling ecosystem. It will also discuss refined-scrap price spreads, downstream industry adaptation, the impact of policy on recycling investments, and changing global trade flows influencing India's scrap competitiveness.
The session will examine the demand outlook for refined zinc across galvanizing, tyre, chemical, and specialty sectors, along with developments in zinc oxide and secondary supply. It will also explore smelter efficiency, energy and cost competitiveness, and the emerging role of zinc in energy storage and other advanced industrial applications.
The session will examine the future of the lead industry amid evolving battery technologies, changing demand patterns, and competition from alternative chemistries. It will also discuss the growing importance of recycling, feedstock security, secondary lead capacity expansion, and long-term sourcing strategies adopted by OEMs and battery manufacturers.
The session will examine the evolving global ferrous landscape, including the impact of China's steel overcapacity, shifting trade dynamics, and raw material security. It will also explore the industry's transition towards green steel and decarbonization, while discussing the growing role of derivatives, price discovery, and risk management in building a more resilient and competitive steel sector.
Given the commodity intensity of India's economic growth, achieving the cherished vision of Viksit Bharat undenaibly lies in creating and nurturing bigger, deeper and highly efficient and participative commodity markets. Hear the panelists deliberate on the elements of an agenda for commodity market institutions that would align their own growth strategies to this broader vision.
The session will discuss the evolving policy landscape for the non-ferrous metals sector, focusing on the impact of EPR implementation, import duties, and scrap regulations on recycling, material availability, and industry competitiveness. It will also explore the need for balanced policy support, taxation reforms, and long-term measures to strengthen both primary and secondary metal value chains in India.
The session will explore changing demand patterns across key end-use sectors such as infrastructure, power, automotive, construction, HVAC, and white goods. It will examine whether current consumption trends reflect sustained structural growth or short-term market dynamics, while assessing the evolving roles of zinc, copper, and aluminium in India's industrial and infrastructure expansion.
The session will explore how AI and digital technologies are transforming the non-ferrous metals industry through smarter forecasting, pricing analytics, procurement, logistics, and process automation. It will also discuss digital traceability, predictive maintenance, energy optimisation, and the key challenges around AI adoption, cybersecurity, and return on investment.
The session will examine key challenges in India's agricultural commodity markets, including the disconnect between spot and futures markets, commodity-specific issues, and barriers to effective price discovery and risk management. It will also discuss ways to strengthen the spot-derivative ecosystem through improved infrastructure, greater farmer and FPO participation, regulatory reforms, wider adoption of warehouse receipts and hedging tools, and exchange-led initiatives to position India as a global benchmark for agricultural commodity pricing and quality.
The discussion will focus on expanding India's agri-commodity derivatives ecosystem by introducing new products such as weather and climate derivatives, broad-based agri commodity indices, and cash-settled contracts for commodities like potato and onion. It will explore the role of State and Central Government-backed agencies in enhancing market participation through futures and options, the need for smaller contract sizes to encourage FPOs and retail participation, and the merits of phased physical settlement to improve liquidity. The session will also deliberate on aligning Indian contract specifications with global markets to enable cross-listing and strengthen India's role as a global price setter, while highlighting the importance of technology-driven innovations in agri trading, warehousing, and market infrastructure.
Inaugural Session and release of the report, followed by the Plenary Address by Vikram Dev Dutt, Secretary, Ministry of Coal.