Integrated technology platform enables real-time monitoring of coal, finished products, fly ash, internal vehicles and waste management
TFP Bureau, Korba, August 31, 2026: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), a subsidiary of Vedanta Aluminium Metal Limited, has integrated five AI-enabled digital control towers as part of its digital transformation strategy, aimed at making logistics and operational processes more connected, efficient and data-driven.
The control towers bring critical activities related to coal logistics, finished products, fly ash, internal vehicle movement and waste management onto a unified digital platform. The system enables real-time monitoring of operations, improved coordination among teams and faster, data-based decision-making.
The initiative comes as the aluminium industry increasingly adopts technology-driven and connected manufacturing systems, while also supporting the broader objective of strengthening India’s technology-enabled domestic manufacturing value chain.
AI and IoT technologies power operations
BALCO’s digital control tower ecosystem uses technologies including GPS, Internet of Things (IoT)-based vehicle tracking, AI-powered video telematics, geo-fencing and real-time analytics to enable end-to-end monitoring of logistics activities.
The platforms are also equipped with Agentic AI capabilities that analyse operational data, identify trends and potential requirements, and recommend timely actions. According to BALCO, this is helping improve resource utilisation, process discipline and overall operational effectiveness.
Five control towers cover key operations
The Coal Logistics Control Tower digitally tracks coal movement and assists in planning its transportation, enabling closer monitoring of coal transit and better supply-chain coordination.
The Finished Product Control Tower manages the movement of finished products within the plant. Features such as digital proof of delivery, geo-fencing-based routing and traffic management are designed to streamline product movement.
The Fly Ash Management Control Tower provides real-time monitoring of ash movement and designated transportation routes. It supports better tracking, resource management and compliance with environmental requirements.
The Waste Management Control Tower monitors the movement of waste materials and adherence to established procedures, improving traceability and accountability throughout the process.
The Internal Vehicle Control Tower centrally monitors technical and utility vehicles operating within the plant premises, including Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTVs), Light Medium Tactical Vehicles (LTVs), forklifts, hydras, campers and buses.
Integrated platform strengthens operational visibility
By connecting vehicle movements, routes, logistics data and other operational information on a common platform, the control towers provide teams with a comprehensive view of critical activities.
The system enables BALCO teams to identify changes in operations, assess performance and take corrective action more quickly. It is also aimed at improving coordination in the movement of raw materials, finished products, internal vehicles and regulated waste.
BALCO said the initiative is strengthening accountability, optimising resource utilisation and improving supply-chain management across its operations.
The integration of the five digital control towers marks another step in BALCO’s ongoing digitalisation efforts, combining advanced technologies with industrial expertise to create more integrated, efficient and future-ready aluminium manufacturing operations.
