Vedanta 's Sterlite Copper unit has received judicial clearance to pursue its green copper plant initiative in Tamil Nadu, following a recent Madras High Court ruling that opens the pathway for formal application procedures.

Court Proceedings and Key Directives

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan heard a writ petition filed by Vedanta seeking direction to the Tamil Nadu government to decide its representations regarding "starting green copper initiatives by changing the original process." The court has scheduled the next hearing for January 29, 2026, alongside a related petition from 2019 (Fatima vs State of Tamil Nadu).

State's Position and Requirements

The State's counsel highlighted the regulatory background, submitting that "earlier, due to breach of consent and other violations, action was taken to close down the industry and the order was assailed up to the Supreme Court." The counsel emphasized that proper applications must be filed before competent authorities rather than mere representations addressed to the Chief Secretary and departmental secretaries.

The court's directive clarifies that "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."

Legal and Environmental Implications

PR Kovilan, Advocate at the Supreme Court, stated that "this paves the way for Vedanta to initiate the formal application process for setting up a green copper manufacturing plant." As part of a citizens group supporting environmentally sustainable initiatives, Kovilan expressed confidence that Vedanta's green copper plant would demonstrate that industrial growth and environmental sustainability can coexist.

Future Prospects

The advocate noted that the initiative could prove to be a turning point in the "future-ready progress of Tamil Nadu," emphasizing the potential for sustainable industrial development. The court's ruling provides Vedanta with a clear regulatory pathway while ensuring proper environmental compliance procedures are followed through the appropriate governmental channels.

Vedanta Limited has delivered exceptional production performance in Q3FY26, achieving record quarterly and nine-month production levels across its key aluminium and alumina operations. The oil-to-metals conglomerate announced its production results for the third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2025, reporting record output across multiple businesses with significant growth recorded across various segments.

Record-Breaking Aluminium and Alumina Performance

The company achieved its highest-ever quarterly aluminium production of 620kt, representing a 1% year-on-year increase, while alumina production reached a record 794kt, marking a substantial 57% YoY growth. The nine-month performance was equally impressive, with aluminium production totaling 1,842kt (+1% YoY) and alumina reaching 2,034kt (+32% YoY).

The outstanding alumina performance was driven by the commissioning of Train II at the Lanjigarh refinery, while aluminium production benefited from operational efficiencies at the Jharsuguda facility.

Zinc Operations Achieve New Milestones

Zinc India operations delivered their best-ever third quarter performance, with mined metal production reaching 276kt (+4% YoY) and saleable metal production hitting 270kt (+4% YoY). The strong performance was attributed to higher ore production and the commissioning of debottlenecking projects at Chanderiya and Dariba facilities.

Zinc International operations also performed well, with total mined metal production of 59kt representing a 28% YoY increase, primarily driven by higher throughput at Gamsberg operations where production rose 40%.

Power Segment Delivers Strong Growth

The power segment achieved remarkable growth with sales increasing 40% YoY to 4,530 million units in Q3FY26. This performance was supported by the successful commissioning and ramp-up of the Athena 600MW and Meenakshi 1000MW power plants.

Athena achieved a plant load factor of 72% in Q3FY26 after commencing commercial operations, while Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd's availability stood at 76% during the quarter.

Operational Improvements Across Other Segments

Several other business segments demonstrated strong performance improvements. Steel finished production reached 325kt, achieving the highest-ever quarterly billet production of 285kt driven by improved operational efficiency. Iron ore saleable production increased 3% YoY to 1.6 million tonnes, while pig iron production rose 6% to 229kt.

FACOR reported ore production of 103kt, up 54% YoY, and ferrochrome production of 24kt, up 32%, supported by the restart of Kalarangiatta Mines. Copper India operations marked their highest quarterly cathode production in seven years at 45kt. Oil and gas operations maintained average daily gross operated production of 84.9 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day, with total production for the quarter at 7.8 million barrels of oil equivalent.

Strategic Positioning and Market Performance

Vedanta's Q3FY26 results underscore the company's position as a global leader in critical minerals and transition metals. As the world's largest integrated zinc producer, fourth-largest global silver producer, and one of the top aluminium producers globally, the company continues to play a pivotal role in supplying essential materials for the energy transition. The strong operational performance was reflected in the stock price, with shares ending at ₹616.55, up by ₹2.31 or 13.90% on the BSE.