Udaipur, April 29, 2025 - Under the guidance of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), the 35th Mines Environment and Mineral Conservation (MEMC) Week, organised by Hindustan Zinc Limited’s (HZL) Kayad Mine in Ajmer, concluded with an awards ceremony. This annual event aims to promote environmental awareness, showcase best practices in energy and mineral conservation and encourage sustainable development in mining.

The event saw the participation of key stakeholders from the mining sector, including representatives from JK Cement Works, Shree Cement Limited, RSMML, Ambuja Cement Limited, UltraTech Cement Limited, Wonder Cement Limited, Hindustan Copper Limited and several other major companies.

The chief guests at the ceremony were Piyush Narayan Sharma, Controller of Mines (MDR) and acting Director General of IBM; Abhay Agarwal, Regional Controller of Mines (Northern Region), IBM; and Arun Misra, CEO of HZL. Also present were Kishore S, COO of HZL, and Chairman of the 35th MEMC Week; Chandresh Bohra, RCOM and Patron of MEMC Week; and Nirmalendu Kumar, SBU Director of Kayad Mine and Program Coordinator, along with Ram Murari, IBU CEO of Rampura Agucha Mine and Kayad Cluster.

The programME began with a flag hoisting ceremony, followed by the inauguration of a technology showcase by the guests, featuring displays from HZL, Sandvik, Normet, Epiroc and others. The main highlight was HZL’s stall which featured immersive VR experiences for dignitaries, including a Loader Operations VR Simulator used for operator training and a virtual walkthrough of mining operations.

The stall also exhibited products such as Special High Grade Zinc, Ecogen -  Asia’s first low-carbon green zinc, HZL die-casting alloy and lead-based products.

An award ceremony followed, recognising excellence in mine environment and mineral conservation. HZL’s units — Kayad Mine, Rampura Agucha Mine, Sindesar Khurd, and Baroi Mine — achieved top rankings in the underground category. Collectively, HZL received 26 awards across various categories for its outstanding efforts in reclamation and rehabilitation, water stewardship, afforestation, systematic and scientific development, environmental monitoring, mineral conservation, waste management, mineral beneficiation, sustainable development and energy conservation.

Under the aegis of the IBM, the 35th MEMC Week concluded successfully, reaffirming the commitment to excellence in sustainable and scientific mining practices.

HZL demonstrated its commitment to sustainability by embedding advanced tailings management systems, progressive afforestation, biodiversity enhancement and circular water usage into its operations. Additionally, through the adoption of climate action plans, decarbonisation strategies, and a circular economy approach, HZL continues to set industry benchmarks and pave the way for responsible growth within the mining sector.