Wire & Cable India recently interviewed Mr. Saurabh Khedekar, President & CEO of Specialty Alumina Business of Hindalco. In this interview, he provides valuable insights into the transformation of India’s wire and cable industry, specifically focusing on Hindalco’s pioneering role in bringing Precipitated (PPT) Hydrate manufacturing to India for the first time. He discusses the company’s flask-to-factory innovation journey, its strategic approach to breaking import dependencies and how domestic manufacturing enables collaborative innovation with Indian cable manufacturers. Additionally, he sheds light on Hindalco’s sustainability leadership in specialty chemicals and the company’s commitment to making fire protection both clean and effective. Let’s explore his perspective on this transformative milestone.
Wire & Cable India: How is Hindalco’s Specialty Alumina business contributing to the transformation of the wire and cable industry?
Saurabh Khedekar: The wire and cable industry is being redefined by India’s infrastructure imperative and a fundamental recalibration of what constitutes acceptable risk. From rapid infrastructure scaling-urbanization, electrification, and industrial expansion to high-growth applications such as data centers, EV charging systems, and renewable energy installations, all are unified by the need for best-in-class wires and cables, thereby necessitating transformative, safe, fire-resistant solutions. Growth is no longer incremental; it is transformative.
At Hindalco, we see our Specialty Alumina business as a key enabler of this transformation. Our InnoSafe Aluminum Trihydrate (ATH) solutions are trusted for their ability to retard fire, suppress smoke, and save lives – critical for modern infrastructure. With strong R&D and a dedicated coating application lab, we co-create with cable manufacturers to deliver customized ATH grades that provide flame retardancy and smoke suppression in cable compounds, enabling India’s wire and cable industry to compete globally while building safer infrastructure at home.
Today, we elevate the transformation beyond safety by integrating performance and sustainability. Our Precipitated (PPT) Hydrate will enable halogen-free flame retardant cables – fire protection without environmental toxicity, reducing India’s import dependence for sustainable fire safety. As India’s first and only manufacturer of superfine PPT hydrate, we will make the future of fire protection both clean and effective.
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WCI: India has been importing PPT hydrate for years. As the first domestic manufacturer, how significant is this milestone and how robust is the demand growth you are witnessing?
SK: Our flask-to-factory achievement in PPT hydrate addresses a longstanding gap. Let me put this in perspective – India’s PPT hydrate market, growing at ~10% annually, has been completely import dependent.
We have all witnessed the chaos. Pandemics brought supply chains to a standstill, freight rates went through the roof, and lead times stretched from weeks to months. Then came the container crisis, environmental crackdowns shutting down supplier plants, and geopolitical tensions adding another layer of uncertainty. Each disruption exposed how vulnerable manufacturers were to external shocks. Supply chain dependent wholly on imports creates dangerous concentration risk.
‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ isn’t just policy speak, it is a business necessity. Domestic manufacturing means predictable supply, stability, and the ability to co-create alongside our customers.
HFFR cable adoption is accelerating across applications, driven by both safety regulations and sustainability mandates. We are entering this segment at a meaningful scale. With an initial 30 KT (kilo tonnes) capacity and planned multi-phase expansion, we are set to redefine the PPT hydrate landscape.
Our InnoSafe Aluminum Trihydrate (ATH) solutions are trusted for their ability to retard fire, suppress smoke, and save lives which are critical for modern infrastructure.
WCI: Can you throw some light on the applications and industries of PPT hydrate?
SK: PPT hydrate represents advanced flame-retardant technology. Engineered through controlled precipitation, it delivers superfine particles with very high purity and performance.
Today, PPT hydrate anchors fire safety across industries, with power infrastructure driving the largest demand. In cable compounds, it enables halogen-free flame-retardant cables that are now standard across critical infrastructure, driving most global consumption. In high-voltage polymer composite insulators, it enhances tracking and erosion resistance while maintaining dielectric strength, reducing transmission losses and strengthening grid reliability.
From cables that carry power to insulators that safeguard it, PPT hydrate underpins safer, more efficient networks. Its superfine particle engineering also makes it indispensable in foams, where the precipitated superfine ATH helps in foam structure formation while adding to fire and smoke properties. In resins & coatings, it adds fire safety and weather resistance for high-performance applications.
Whether enabling mass-scale safety in cables or driving niche innovations, PPT hydrate has become a critical ingredient – and with Hindalco, India will now have a reliable domestic source for this essential technology.
WCI: What shifts are you noticing in the wire and cable industry?
SK: The wire and cable industry is going through a fundamental rewiring, with three forces that are converging to transform how this industry operates. Safety isn’t negotiable anymore. Metro systems, commercial towers, data centers – everywhere you look, fire-safe cables have become the baseline, not an upgrade. When a single cable failure can shut down critical infrastructure or worse, endanger lives, fire retardance stops being optional.
Sustainability is hitting equally hard, but it’s not just about being green – it’s about being smart. HFFR delivers the perfect equation: superior fire safety without environmental toxicity. While the industry scrambles to find cleaner alternatives, we have already solved it. Our PPT hydrate is produced at our Belagavi refinery, one of the greenest in the world, achieving a record-low GHG intensity of 0.44 tCO2e (YTD FY26) per ton of alumina. Belagavi ran entirely on renewable power this year for four months straight; we have eliminated liquid discharge, and even our waste (red mud-bauxite residue) creates value. This isn’t just sustainable – it’s regenerative.
The third shift is regulatory convergence. Indian fire safety standards are rapidly aligning with international benchmarks, driving stricter flame retardancy requirements across infrastructure projects.
These aren’t three separate challenges. They are one integrated opportunity. Safety, sustainability, and standards are aligning to create a market where precision engineered solutions become essential.
Our Precipitated (PPT) Hydrate will enable halogen-free flame retardant cables – fire protection without environmental toxicity, reducing India’s import dependence for sustainable fire safety.
WCI: Indian safety norms are evolving. How do our current HFFR standards stack up against international benchmarks, and what regulatory changes do you anticipate will drive further adoption?
SK: India is rapidly aligning its fire safety standards with global benchmarks. Internationally, cable standards like IEC 60332, UL1685, BS7629 define rigorous fire and smoke performance criteria. India’s response has been encouraging – BIS introduced IS 17048:2018 for halogen-free flame-retardant cables aligning with these international standards.
Across industries, specialized fire safety frameworks are emerging globally-railways, automotive, construction-each calibrated to sector-specific risk environments. India is embracing this targeted regulatory approach as well.
The regulatory momentum is undeniable. While critical infrastructure like metros, hospitals, and data centers are increasingly specifying HFFR cables, residential buildings, commercial properties, and public infrastructure still lag behind. To make India safer, we need stringent HFFR compliance for B&C segments.
As standards evolve, the bar for performance keeps rising – and that is a good thing. It ensures that only truly reliable, high-quality solutions are adopted at scale. Engineered solutions like Hindalco’s PPT hydrate are essential in this landscape, ensuring that India’s infrastructure not only meets evolving norms but leads in safety and reliability.
WCI: What is the USP of Hindalco’s PPT Hydrate?
SK: Our differentiation comes from multiple fronts. First, domestic manufacturing advantage: we are going to be India’s first PPT hydrate producer, our flask to factory innovation journey ending decades of import dependence.
Second, sustainability leadership: our PPT hydrate comes from one of the world’s greenest production processes at Belagavi.
Third, technical precision: our controlled precipitation, coupled with our mines to market fundamentals, delivers superfine particles with exceptional purity and customizable characteristics, enabling us to support diverse applications across the ecosystem.
The real value proposition is market enablement. Predictable availability, shorter lead times, local technical support, and the ability to co-develop solutions position us as a strategic partner in India’s infrastructure growth.
India’s PPT hydrate market, growing at ~10% annually, has been completely import dependent. With an initial 30 KT (kilo tonnes) capacity and planned multi-phase expansion, we are set to redefine the PPT hydrate landscape.
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