Operations
/ Metals [ Remote ]
3 months
End-to-End Strategic Roadmap for Secondary Production & Scrap Utilization in Non-Ferrous Metals (Lead and Zinc)
CLIENT:
A Big4 Consulting Firm working with a Government end client
CONSULTANT:
He is a metals industry veteran with 43+ years of experience across zinc & lead smelting, environmental management, and sustainability. At Hindustan Zinc, he led large-scale smelting operations (zinc & lead) and environmental functions for one of the world’s largest lead–zinc complexes, including sinter and acid plants. He has extensive exposure to secondary production processes, waste recovery, pollution control, and EIA/EMP preparation, and has worked closely with regulatory bodies on policy compliance, scrap handling, and recycling initiatives. His background spans process optimization, environmental clearances, circular utilization of industrial by-products, and benchmarking against global sustainability standards — aligning strongly with India’s secondary metals and recycling vision.
ASSIGNMENT:
The client—a Big4 Consulting Firm—was developing a strategic report to define the vision and roadmap for India’s secondary (recycled) non-ferrous metals sector, focusing on Lead and Zinc. The objective was to assess the current ecosystem for secondary metal production, understand the scrap generation and utilization landscape, and identify key enablers for developing a robust, sustainable recycling ecosystem aligned with India’s self-reliance and sustainability goals.
The consultant worked closely with the Big4 team to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the Lead and Zinc value chains—mapping process flows from ore to end-use products, identifying waste and scrap generation points (slag, tailings, reverts), and evaluating recycling efficiency at each stage. The study also involved identifying key stakeholders including recyclers, aggregators, and scrap collectors, and validating field-level data to estimate generation and recovery rates.
In parallel, the engagement benchmarked global recycling technologies and best practices (from the EU, China, and Japan), assessed India’s technological readiness, and identified capability gaps. The consultant provided actionable recommendations for technology adoption, capacity building, and policy interventions to enable circularity and formalization in the non-ferrous metal sector.
The consultant worked closely with the Big4 team to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the Lead and Zinc value chains—mapping process flows from ore to end-use products, identifying waste and scrap generation points (slag, tailings, reverts), and evaluating recycling efficiency at each stage. The study also involved identifying key stakeholders including recyclers, aggregators, and scrap collectors, and validating field-level data to estimate generation and recovery rates.
In parallel, the engagement benchmarked global recycling technologies and best practices (from the EU, China, and Japan), assessed India’s technological readiness, and identified capability gaps. The consultant provided actionable recommendations for technology adoption, capacity building, and policy interventions to enable circularity and formalization in the non-ferrous metal sector.
OUTCOME:
The project delivered a comprehensive roadmap for the Lead and Zinc recycling ecosystem in India, outlining clear strategic levers across value chain efficiency, technology modernization, and policy reform. It resulted in the identification of key technology adoption priorities, capacity-building needs, and infrastructure gaps required to scale up secondary production.
The engagement also validated the economic potential of metal scrap utilization, helping the client quantify the benefits of formalizing recycling systems and improving material recovery efficiency. The consultant’s contributions shaped a robust, evidence-based strategy for enabling sustainable, circular growth in India’s non-ferrous metals industry—supporting the Big4 firm’s strategic recommendations to the government and industry stakeholders
The engagement also validated the economic potential of metal scrap utilization, helping the client quantify the benefits of formalizing recycling systems and improving material recovery efficiency. The consultant’s contributions shaped a robust, evidence-based strategy for enabling sustainable, circular growth in India’s non-ferrous metals industry—supporting the Big4 firm’s strategic recommendations to the government and industry stakeholders