Copper & New Copper Alloys: Powering India’s Green Industrial Future
Presented by Mayur Karmarkar | International Copper Association
Annual Copper Conference · Indian Copper Development Centre (ICDC) · Mumbai
1. A Metal at the Heart of India’s Energy Transition
Copper is not merely a commodity. It is the foundational material through which modern energy flows — from the winding wires in electric motors to the ultra-thin foils inside lithium-ion battery cells. As India accelerates toward electrification, green energy, and high-technology manufacturing, the role of copper and its advanced alloys has never been more strategically significant.
At the Annual Copper Conference organised by the Indian Copper Development Centre in Mumbai, the International Copper Association (ICA) presented a comprehensive case for investing in new copper products and specialised semi-fabricates. The objective was to deliver insights and a business case encouraging investments in new copper products for the emerging EV, electronics, and semiconductor industry — to participants representing India’s copper fabrication industry.
Green technologies currently represent 4.6% of India’s copper demand — but they are growing at 32% year-on-year, making this the fastest-expanding segment of the entire copper market.
2. India’s Copper Demand: A Market Growing at Pace
India’s copper demand has grown consistently year-on-year, reaching 1.878 million tonnes in FY2025 — a 9.3% increase from the prior year. Imported semi-fabricates alone contributed 230 KT to this demand, signalling both India’s appetite and the gap in domestic manufacturing capability.
2.1 Demand Growth: FY22–FY25
| FY22 | ███████████ 1,311 KT |
| FY23 | █████████████ 1,522 KT |
| FY24 | ███████████████ 1,718 KT |
| FY25 | ████████████████████ 1,878 KT |
* Includes Primary & Secondary Copper, Copper Alloys, Multi-metals Scrap (Chapter 72 & 76).
2.2 Demand by Sector — FY2025
| Sector | FY25 Share | Trend |
| Building & Construction | 25% | ▲ |
| Infrastructure | 17% | ▲ |
| Industrial | 19% | ▲ |
| Transportation | 8% | ▲ |
| Consumer Goods | 14% | ▲ |
| Diverse | 17% | ▲ |
2.3 Key Statistics at a Glance
1.9 mn T Total copper demand in FY25 — up 9.3% year-on-year | 230 KT Imported semi-fabricates contributing to India’s demand | 1,201 KT Copper Rod — largest single product segment in FY25 |
3. The Fast-Growing Green Frontier
Green technologies — solar, wind, EVs, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and electrolysers — currently account for 87 KT (4.6%) of India’s total copper demand in FY25. What makes this segment extraordinary is its pace: growing at 32% year-on-year, it is far outstripping the broader market growth rate of 9.3%.
Looking ahead, the Niti Aayog report projects cumulative copper demand from green technologies to reach 66 million tonnes by 2070 under a net-zero scenario — compared to approximately 66% of that level under current policy settings.
3.1 Green Technology Copper Demand by Segment (KT)
| Year | Solar | EV+Infra | Renewables | Other | Total |
| FY23 | 30 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 51 KT |
| FY24 | 36 | 24 | 6 | 0 | 66 KT |
| FY25 | 51 | 28 | 8 | 0 | 87 KT |
3.2 Cumulative Demand to 2070: Technology Segments
| Technology | Cumulative Cu Demand (2070 Net-Zero) | Growth Driver |
| Solar | ~22 million tonnes | Utility & rooftop solar expansion |
| EV Batteries | ~18 million tonnes | Li-ion cell current collectors |
| Wind | ~13 million tonnes | Winding wires & grid connections |
| EV Motors | ~9 million tonnes | High-efficiency drive motors |
| BESS & Electrolysers | ~4 million tonnes | Grid storage & green hydrogen |
| TOTAL (Net-Zero Scenario) | ~66 Million Tonnes by 2070 | Source: Niti Aayog |
4. New & Advanced Copper Products Imported Into India
A critical and often overlooked dimension of India’s copper story is the growing import of specialised copper products and semi-fabricates. These high-value materials serve the most demanding applications in electronics, defence, semiconductor manufacturing, and clean energy. India currently imports many of these; the opportunity to manufacture them domestically is substantial.
4.1 Product Reference Table
| Product / Alloy | Dimensions | Key Applications |
| Beryllium Copper (C17200/C17000/C17500) | Strips 0.05–6.35mm; Rods 1.27–152mm; Wire 0.025–9.5mm | Electronics springs, contacts, relays; aerospace; automotive bushings; defence missile guidance systems; non-sparking tools |
| Copper-Nickel Alloys (Cu-Ni 90/10, 70/30) | Plates 0.5–50mm; Sheets 0.3–3mm; Tubes 6–406mm OD | Seawater systems; desalination; condenser tubes; offshore oil & gas; chemical equipment |
| Cu Alloy Tubes (Al-Bronze, Cu-P-Sn, Al-Brass) | Tubes 6mm+ OD | Marine; offshore O&G; power plant seawater heat exchangers; desalination; concentric solar plants |
| Copper-Telluride Alloy (C14500) | Strips 0.1–6mm; Rods 3–100mm; Wire 0.5–10mm | Electrical contacts; connectors; relay/switch parts; automotive electrical systems |
| OFE Copper (C10100/C10200) | Rods 3–150mm; Bars 5×5–100×100mm; Wire 0.05–10mm | Semiconductor tools; vacuum tubes; particle accelerators; waveguides; medical devices |
| Laminated Busbars | 2–20 layers; 0.2–2mm per layer; Width 20–300mm | Power electronics; EV battery systems; inverters/converters; motor drives |
| Flexible Busbars | Thickness <0.5mm; 10–500 layers; Overall 2–50mm; Width 10–200mm | Generator connections; battery systems; solar cells and panels |
| Enameled Wire | Round 0.015–5mm; Rect. 0.5×2–5×20mm; Temp 105–220°C | Motors/generators; transformers; relays; automotive; aerospace; medical equipment |
| ED/HTE Foil – PCB Grade | 9, 12, 18, 35, 70 µm; IPC-4562 class; Rolls/panels | FR-4/CEM laminates; multilayer PCBs; CCL for electronics |
| ED Copper Foil – Battery Grade | 4.5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12 µm; Ultra-thin to ~4.5 µm; Rolls | Li-ion anode current collector for EVs, electronics, and energy storage systems |
| RA Copper Foil | Various µm range; IPC-4562 spec; Narrow-to-medium widths | High-frequency PCB; flexible circuits; specialty electronic applications |
5. BEV Powertrains: Why Copper Consumption Soars
Battery Electric Vehicles use dramatically more copper than their internal combustion counterparts. This is not an incremental increase — it is a structural shift in materials demand. Across every vehicle category, from two-wheelers to passenger cars, the shift to electrification multiplies copper usage by a factor of three to five.
The shift is driven by five distinct copper use-cases within a BEV: the battery pack (cells and busbars), the electric drive motor (winding wire), the power electronics (laminated busbars, inverters), the wire harness, and the charging system. Each requires a different grade and form of copper.
5.1 Copper Consumption: ICE vs BEV — All Vehicle Categories
| Vehicle Type | ICE Copper (kg) | BEV Copper (kg) | BEV Breakdown |
| 2-Wheeler | ~1.8 kg | 3.4 – 6.1 kg | Wire harness 1.1–1.6 kg; Winding + Battery Foil 2.0–4.1 kg; Connectors ~0.4 kg |
| 3-Wheeler | ~3.3 kg | 10.8 – 12.2 kg | Wire harness 2.2–3.1 kg; Winding + Battery Foil 8.0–8.6 kg; Connectors ~0.5 kg |
| Passenger Car | 8.2–15.9 kg | ~71 kg | Battery cells ~25 kg; Motor cabling ~15 kg; Bus bars ~12 kg; Wire harness ~8 kg; Charger cabling ~8 kg; Motor coils ~7 kg |
5.2 Key Insight: The Passenger Car Shift
A conventional passenger car uses approximately 8–16 kg of copper. A Battery Electric Vehicle uses ~71 kg — nearly five times more. The battery pack alone accounts for over a third of this, with motor cabling, bus bars, wire harnesses, and charging cabling making up the rest.
6. Batteries: The Largest End-Use for Copper in EVs
Within an electric vehicle, the battery pack is the single largest copper-consuming component. Li-ion cells use copper foil as the current collector at the anode — a thin, continuous strip of high-purity copper upon which the active material is coated. The performance of the battery is intrinsically linked to the quality of this copper foil.
6.1 Li-ion Cell Format Distribution
| Pouch Cells | Prismatic Cells | Cylindrical Cells |
63% Dominant in passenger EVs | 27% Commercial EVs & BESS | 10% 2-wheelers & portable devices |
6.2 Copper Foil Quality Parameters
Copper foil for batteries is among the most technically demanding products in the entire copper fabrication industry. As foils have become progressively thinner (standard 10–6 µm, now pushing to ultra-thin 4.5–6 µm), the quality requirements have become correspondingly more stringent.
| Quality Parameter | Requirement |
| Thickness Uniformity | < 5% variation across the roll width; critical for consistent electrode coating |
| Purity | > 99.9% copper purity; impurities degrade ion transport and cycle life |
| Tensile Strength / Elongation | Must withstand high-speed calendaring and coating without tearing or cracking |
| Pinhole Density | Low pinholes/voids to prevent internal short circuits in battery cells |
| Surface Roughness (Rz) | Controlled surface roughness; minimal oxidation to maintain adhesion and conductivity |
Global Copper Foil Context Global lithium battery copper foil capacity: 1.4 million tonnes in FY25 Global production: ~840 KT in FY25 Production concentrated in: China, Taiwan, Japan & South Korea India’s current manufacturing capacity: 0 KT |
7. Copper Busbars in Li-ion Battery Systems
Beyond the foil inside each cell, copper plays a second vital structural and electrical role in battery packs: busbars. These rigid or flexible copper conductors connect modules and cells internally, and link the Battery Distribution Unit (BDU) to external systems. Copper’s unique combination of electrical conductivity, thermal management, and mechanical integrity makes it the uncontested material of choice.
| Role of Busbars | Why Copper? |
Internal: Connect individual cells within modules and link modules together. External: Battery Distribution Unit (BDU) terminal busbars link to motor controllers and charger interfaces. Usage: ~0.06–0.1 kg of copper per kWh of battery capacity. | Superior Conductivity: 58 MS/m — highest among common structural metals. Thermal Management: ~400 W/mK thermal conductivity acts as a heat spreader, maintaining safe cell temperatures. Mechanical Integrity: Greater rigidity than aluminium alternatives under automotive-grade vibration. |
8. Copper Foil Manufacturing: India’s White Space
India faces a striking paradox: it is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for EVs and batteries, yet it manufactures none of the copper foil that makes those batteries possible. This gap represents a multi-billion dollar opportunity in domestic manufacturing, supply chain integration, and technology transfer.
8.1 India Battery Demand Forecast (GWh) — MHI Estimates
| Year | EV Demand (GWh) | BESS Demand (GWh) | Total (GWh) |
| 2025 | 0.5 | 17.52 | 18 GWh |
| 2030 | 151 | 58 | 209 GWh |
| 2047 | 1,066 | 116 | 1,182 GWh |
8.2 Opportunity at a Glance
< 0.5 kg Copper foil per kWh of Li-ion cell manufacturing | 209 GWh India projected annual battery demand by 2030 | ~105 KT Copper foil demand implied in India by 2030 | 0 KT Current battery copper foil manufacturing in India |
With India’s battery demand projected to reach 209 GWh by 2030, the implied copper foil demand reaches approximately 105 KT per year — a number that climbs steeply to over 1,100 KT by 2047. Integrating the entire value chain locally — from copper cathode to battery-grade foil — would capture enormous value currently exported abroad.
9. Challenges in Building Copper Foil Manufacturing
The opportunity is substantial, but so are the barriers. Copper foil manufacturing for batteries is a technology-intensive, capital-heavy industry that India has yet to develop. Understanding these challenges is essential to designing effective and targeted policy interventions.
| # | Challenge | Detail |
| 1 | High Capital Expenditure | A single tonne of production capacity requires ~USD 30,000 in capex. A 10,000 tonne/year facility implies USD 300M+ with significant technology risk. |
| 2 | Technology Dependence | No local manufacturing know-how, electrodeposition expertise, or plant machinery available in India. All must be imported or licensed from abroad. |
| 3 | Pricing Structure | Cu Foil price = LME Cu Cathode + ~USD 2,500/tonne value addition (electrodeposition, rolling, surface treatment, margins). Domestic manufacturers must match this. |
| 4 | Chinese Competition | China dominates global production. By late 2025, market supply tightened only in premium ultra-thin foil (~4.5 µm) segments — the high-value entry point for India. |
10. What India Needs from Government
To catalyse domestic copper foil manufacturing, ICA presented a targeted set of government interventions at the ICDC Conference — structured around incentivisation, trade protection, and operational support. The combination of demand-side pull (EV adoption) and supply-side push (policy enablement) is the proven formula used successfully by semiconductor and solar manufacturing programmes.
| Policy Recommendation | Details |
| PLI-Type Incentive Scheme | Establish a Production-Linked Incentive scheme specifically for copper foil, covering capital expenditure disabilities and facilitating technology transfer arrangements with global manufacturers to bridge cost gaps. |
| Zero Import Duty on Plant Machinery | Reduce initial capital burden by eliminating import duty on specialised electrodeposition equipment and related plant machinery not manufactured in India. |
| Preferential Land in Green-Tech Clusters | Allocate land in designated green-technology manufacturing clusters and ensure fast-track environmental and industrial clearances to accelerate project timelines. |
ICA continues to actively secure government support to ensure India remains competitive on the global stage — enabling the country to move from being a consumer of advanced copper products to a manufacturer and exporter.
Conclusion
Copper stands at the intersection of India’s twin imperatives: energy security and industrial competitiveness. The metal’s unique properties — unmatched conductivity, outstanding thermal performance, and material versatility — make it irreplaceable in the technologies that will define the next five decades of growth.
India’s copper demand is rising steadily, driven by construction, infrastructure, and — increasingly — green technology. The green segment is the fastest-growing slice of demand, and within it, the requirement for advanced copper products (precision alloys, ultra-thin battery foils, enameled wire, laminated busbars) is outpacing the market significantly.
Prime Minister Modi’s Make in India initiative finds one of its most compelling expressions in the copper value chain. India today imports virtually every advanced copper semi-fabricate it consumes, from battery-grade foils to beryllium copper alloys, sending billions of dollars of manufacturing value overseas. Building domestic capacity in these products is not a peripheral industrial goal. It sits squarely at the heart of what Make in India aspires to achieve: converting raw material consumption into sovereign manufacturing capability, creating skilled employment, deepening the technology base, and positioning India as a competitive supplier to global EV and electronics supply chains. Copper is not a niche input. It is the connective tissue of the entire green industrial economy, and making it in India is both a strategic necessity and an economic opportunity of the first order.
The country has a rare window of opportunity: to move from importer of high-value copper semi-fabricates to domestic manufacturer and ultimately exporter. Achieving this requires coordinated action between industry and government — on incentivisation, trade policy, technology transfer, and infrastructure. The ICA’s case presented at ICDC 2026 makes clear both the scale of the prize and the urgency of seizing it