The Zinc business of Vedanta is managed within Hindustan Zinc Limited. HZL is India's only integrated zinc company, operating from mine to finished metal and supplied around 73% of India's zinc requirements in 2005-06. At the base of the company is the Rampura Agucha mine with its low cost and consistently high grade ore.

In 2005-06, HZL produced 283, 698 tonnes of zinc as a result of recent expansions of the Rampura Agucha mine and at the nearby Chanderiya facility.

The ore produced at the mines contains lead, which is smelted alongside the zinc. In 2005-06 HZL produced around 23, 636 tonnes of lead. The commissioning of a new Ausmelt TM smelter at Chanderiya in February 2006 has increased capacity to 85, 000 tpa of lead. Zinc is used mainly in galvanising steel to improve its durability. HZL plays a role in developing the market for the end product. We believe the capacity for galvanised steel in India is increasing significantly, due to the demand for the product in infrastructure and construction work.