The Hidden Shield: Why Aluminium is Critical to India’s Defence Preparedness
Today, India is universally recognised as an emerging global superpower. It is the fifth-largest economy and will become the third-largest by 2027. India plays a key role in international diplomacy through its prominence in platforms like the G20, BRICS, Quad, and the United Nations. The country has secured its rightful place in the comity of nations and is considered a strategic stabiliser in the new world order. The developed world now turns to India for advice and guidance. This transformation from a developing country to an emerging global leader underscores India's growing strategic weight on the international stage and, with it, the heightened responsibility to defend its borders and influence. In brief, while India's ascendancy in the global power matrix has been noted, her future roles and responsibilities and discharge thereof would be keenly watched by countries around the world. As her comprehensive national power would always merit serious attention, her strategic moves toward enhancing economic and military prowess would be under constant scrutiny.
Within its national security framework, India has undertaken a series of recent initiatives to improve military capabilities across various domains – personnel, higher military institutions, equipment profile, military industrial, military scientific, and resources rationalisation. It is the indigenisation efforts that merit consideration in recent times. The absolute and relative success of indigenous platforms in Operation Sindoor is being discussed as a new primer to India's contemporary military capabilities. In many ways, Operation Sindoor has cast a spotlight on the importance of current and future defence readiness, not just in terms of boots on the ground or missiles in the arsenal, but in the foundational elements that make up our defence ecosystem. Now is the time for India to re-examine true Aatmanirbharta in defence – the central component of military power.
While contemplating how to enhance military-industrial capacities, we should invariably start by determining the best way to integrate our critical mineral resources and their processing into the production of high-tech military systems. The availability, extraction, and use of such minerals, as well as preparing them for high-end military output, pose key challenges and thus offer opportunities for us. How we navigate this in the best possible way will be key to our efforts toward Atmanirbharta.
India has the world's fifth-largest bauxite reserves, the ore used to produce aluminium. Nearly 60% of India's bauxite reserves are concentrated in Odisha. When strategically harnessed, these resources can secure India's mineral independence and significantly bolster our Make in India in general and defence manufacturing capabilities in particular.
Modern warfare is no longer defined solely by manpower and firepower. It is increasingly driven by technology, materials science, and self-reliance. Defence assets, whether fighter jets, precision missiles, submarines, drones, or satellites, to name a few, are built on the foundation of advanced materials. In this context, minerals form the essential baseline for producing high-tech precision products. Every piece of modern hardware originates from mined elements, from communication satellites and armoured vehicles to naval warships and fighter aircraft. Minerals such as titanium, rare earth elements, copper, lithium, and, most notably, aluminium have evolved from mere industrial inputs to critical strategic assets.
As it aspires to become a net security provider in the region and beyond, India must look at minerals from an economic lens and through the prism of national security. The capacity to domestically source and process key strategic minerals will define the pace and credibility of our Atmanirbhar Bharat vision in defence.
Recognising this, the Government of India has taken commendable steps through reforms in mining laws and auction mechanisms to ensure mineral security. Key among these is the introduction of commercial mining auctions under the MMDR Amendment Act, which enables private sector participation in mineral extraction, and the formulation of a Critical Minerals List by the Ministry of Mines that now includes essential defence inputs such as lithium, cobalt, rare earth elements (REEs), and aluminium. These measures mark a strategic shift toward long-term resource planning. However, the urgency of the current geopolitical climate demands sharper focus and accelerated execution. India must identify and protect its critical mineral corridors and prioritise their exploration and commercialisation. The recent hostilities are a stark reminder that mineral security is inextricably linked to national security.
The Spotlight on Aluminium
If we narrow the lens further, aluminium emerges as one of the most vital materials powering India's defence ambitions. Lightweight, corrosion-resistant, thermally efficient, and fully recyclable, aluminium is indispensable across aerospace, naval, and land-based applications. This versatile metal has taken centre stage in an era defined by advanced defence technologies.
Aluminium is widely used in the construction of airframes, missiles, radar systems, UAVs, launch systems, ship hulls, and artillery components. Its superior strength-to-weight ratio, durability, and excellent thermal conductivity make it especially suited for aerospace and marine environments. Fighter aircraft such as the Tejas LCA rely heavily on aluminium alloys for the fuselage and wings, enabling lighter and more agile airframes. Missiles and launch systems use aluminium to achieve greater range and payload efficiency through weight reduction. Naval vessels, particularly stealth ships, incorporate aluminium for its corrosion resistance and radar-absorbing capabilities. Aluminium provides vital thermal protection and structural integrity in space and satellite systems. Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles also depend on their high strength-to-weight ratio, which enhances manoeuvrability and operational endurance.
Aluminium's importance is only set to grow. With the defence sector embracing next-generation systems like electric propulsion, directed-energy weapons, and space-based platforms, the demand for lightweight conductive materials and advanced thermal solutions places aluminium in even sharper focus. As per recent projections, aluminium demand in the global aerospace and defence sectors is expected to surge by over 25% by 2030. For India, this is not merely a trend to follow, it is a strategic opportunity to lead. Harnessing and expanding domestic capabilities in aluminium production and alloy innovation must now be treated as a national defence priority.
Strengthening India's aluminium value chain from mining and refining to advanced alloy production is an industrial priority and a national imperative. The Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Mines, and private sector players must collaborate to boost domestic capacity and innovation in aluminium-based defence technologies.
The recent war-like situations must not be viewed as isolated events but as signals in a changing geopolitical theatre. The world is entering an era where national defence will be increasingly defined by material self-sufficiency and technological agility, so that systems produced indigenously will lead to better results in conflict situations. A detailed analysis of the performance of indigenously developed systems in Operation Sindoor will not only help us assess the requirements for minerals to enhance future military capacity, but also identify areas for improvement.
We must first secure the resources beneath our soil to ensure India's security across land, sea, air, and space. Minerals like aluminium are more than industrial inputs. They are fundamental to our strategic autonomy. Aluminium, in particular, serves as a silent yet vital component of modern defence and aerospace systems. Though it may not be as visible as missiles or fighter jets, it underpins their very existence, making it not just a metal but a strategic asset and a shield of sovereignty.
[An abridged version of this article has been published in The Financial Express (Print), May 23, 2025]
