CHENNAI: Industry captains hailed the recent verdict of the Madras High Court on allowing Vedanta to formally apply for its proposed green copper plant in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin, saying this would support a cleaner industry, aid regional economic revival, and help achieve India’s ambitions in the copper sector.
Recently the Madras HC allowed Vedanta's Sterlite Copper unit to file a fresh application before the competent authorities in connection with its green copper plant proposal.
The First Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan while directing the listing of the petition to January 29, 2026, along with the plea of the year 2019, said “the pendency of this petition shall not come in the way of the petitioner in moving fresh application before the competent authorities and it will be open for the authorities to take a decision thereon."
The court’s directive is being viewed as a reset, one that enables regulators to examine a reimagined production model aligned with global environmental standards and India’s growing demand for copper, driven by sectors such as electric mobility, renewable energy, electronics and infrastructure.
Welcoming the court’s directive, COO, Finergy Transport Finance Limited Srikanth Rajagopalan, said in a release here, “the move towards cleaner copper production has implications well beyond a single facility. It can reinforce domestic supply resilience and support long-term industrial development.”
Green copper refers to copper produced through significantly cleaner and more resource-efficient processes, with lower emissions, reduced waste, and improved water and energy efficiency. Under the proposed transition, Sterlite Copper plans to move from a fully concentrate-based smelting process to a hybrid system using 70 per cent concentrate and 30 per cent recycled copper, supported by advanced technologies from Germany and Sweden.
The proposed model envisages a hybrid production system that blends primary copper concentrate with low-carbon recycled copper, enabling circular economy integration and a substantially lower environmental footprint compared to conventional smelting, the release further said.
Beyond environmental metrics, the proposal places strong emphasis on local and community-level outcomes. Plans include sharing surplus treated water with nearby villages, creating structured platforms for community participation through a Local Management Committee, and setting aside a dedicated corpus for sustained local development.
President of the Thoothukudi People’s Livelihood Protection Association S Thyagarajan said the proposed plant has the potential to restore livelihoods across the region.
“Thousands of families depend directly and indirectly on industrial activity here. Reopening the plant with cleaner technology can revive direct employment in a big way and also support allied industries,” he said.
Placing the development in a broader national context, Member, International Copper Association India Mayur Karmarkar, added, “copper is critical for a decarbonising economy. Without sustainable supply, price volatility will hurt India’s growth. Environmentally responsible produced copper is the way forward for India's growth"