Hindustan Zinc to develop India's first zinc tailings recycling facility

India-based Hindustan Zinc Limited, a Vedanta Group company and integrated zinc producer, has awarded contracts to CIMIC Group companies Sedgman and Leighton Asia for the development of India's first zinc tailings recycling facility at its flagship Rampura Agucha Mines in Rajasthan. 

The facility at Rampura Agucha will deploy advanced processing techniques to recover metals including zinc and silver from previously processed tailings, which Hindustan Zinc says will transform legacy waste into valuable resources and reinforce a circular approach to mining. 

“By establishing India's first zinc tailings recycling facility at global scale, Hindustan Zinc is creating a blueprint for how legacy resources can be reengineered into future supply, strengthening India's critical minerals security,” Hindustan Zinc CEO Arun Misra says. “Our collaboration with Sedgman's global minerals processing expertise and Leighton Asia's on-ground infrastructure execution brings together the best of technology and delivery to set new benchmarks for responsible mining.” 

This development comes as part of the company's plan to double its production capacity. In August 2025, Hindustan Zinc's Board approved an investment of up to 3,823 crore (about $416 million) for the development of a 10 million metric ton per annum zinc tailings reprocessing facility at Rampura Agucha, targeted for completion within 28 months from the zero date. 

“This project highlights Sedgman's leadership in minerals processing and Leighton Asia's proven capability in infrastructure delivery,” Juan Santamaría, CIMIC Group executive chairman, says.  “It reflects CIMIC Group's strategic commitment to supporting the global energy transition through critical minerals development. Modern tailings reprocessing unlocks new opportunities to recover essential minerals that power clean energy technologies and digital infrastructure.”