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The companies said the network will support a range of Industry 4.0 use cases, including worker safety applications, fleet management, drone and CCTV-based surveillance, real-time monitoring and operational efficiency initiatives. Vi Business, the enterprise arm of telecom operator Vodafone Idea, has signed a strategic partnership with Hindalco Industries to deploy a dedicated private network at the company’s Baphlimali Bauxite Mine in Odisha, marking Hindalco’s first private network implementation as it expands its digital mining capabilities.
This deployment underscores our capability to engineer customized private networks for complex industrial environments,” said M P Sunil Kumar, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, Vi Business. The network has been designed to deliver secure and reliable connectivity while providing a scalable platform for future digital applications across the mining site, according to Vi Business. “Our first dedicated Private network at Baphlimali will create a critical digital backbone for connected, automated and data-driven mining operations,” said Kailash Pandey, CEO, Aluminium Upstream, Hindalco Industries. The company said the initiative aligns with its vision of building connected and intelligent mining operations while improving workforce safety and operational efficiency.
The multi-year managed services deployment will provide a complete private network stack, including spectrum, core, radio access network (RAN) and managed services, creating the digital backbone for connected mining operations at one of Hindalco’s key bauxite mines in Rayagada district. A key component of the project is the establishment of an Integrated Command and Control Centre, which will provide centralised visibility and enable data-driven decision-making across mining operations. The partnership comes as industrial companies increasingly adopt private network infrastructure to support mission-critical operations and automation initiatives. “We are delighted to partner with Hindalco on this landmark initiative. For Hindalco, the deployment represents a significant step in its digital transformation strategy and broader push towards technology-enabled mining operations. The digital transformation programme also complements Hindalco’s sustainability efforts. The Baphlimali mine recently received Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Performance Standard Certification, recognising its adherence to environmental, social and governance standards. The deployment further strengthens Vi Business’s presence in the enterprise connectivity market, where telecom operators are increasingly targeting industrial digitalisation projects across manufacturing, mining and other sectors requiring secure private network infrastructure. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.