The Compass
Aluminium producers are set to put in a better performance in the second half of the current year. In the first half, output had increased significantly but prices were still below the levels of the previous corresponding period. The second half has seen a sustained rise in aluminium prices resulting in prices now crossing their mark a year ago.
The combined production of three leading aluminium players _ Hindalco, Nalco and Indal _ has shown an increase of 22 per cent to 2.9 lakh tonne in the first ten months of the current fiscal.
Nalco leads the pack due to historic reasons. The first half of 1997-98 had seen a sharp fall in Nalco's output due to failure at its smelter leading to production losses. Post-rectification, the recovery in output growth is about 60 per cent. This growth rate will, however, get tempered over a year. Hindalco, on the other hand, has posted a four per cent i