Germany/India: Runaya Metsource (“Runaya”), a company providing advanced technological solutions for circular economy and waste-to-wealth innovations, and ECKART, a global leader in aluminium granules and effect pigments headquartered in Germany, announce the construction of their joint venture facility, Runaya Eckart Aluminium Powders Private Limited (REL), in Jharsuguda, Odisha.
The Runaya Eckart Aluminium Powders plant will manufacture green, spherical gas-atomized aluminium powders – a first in India – for advanced applications across aviation, space exploration, aerospace, solar technology, process catalyst industries and effect pigments. Effect pigments are specialized pigments designed to create visual effects such as shimmer, sparkle, and color-shifting. These pigments are used in various industries to enhance the aesthetic appeal of products. The facility marks a major milestone for India, as these fine spherical powders were previously entirely imported.
At the heart of this facility is a high-precision atomization process, where molten aluminium is atomized under inert conditions at high temperature and pressure. This results in uniform, fine powder with a mean particle size of 15 microns, which can be further tailored to meet specific customer requirements. Runaya Eckart Aluminium Powders will also produce specialized alloy powders to cater to emerging high-tech applications in manufacturing.
The spherical structure of these powders enables superior performance in a wide range of critical industries. They are used in paints and coatings, in automotive and aerospace systems, and in solar pastes applied to silicon solar cells to strengthen the back-surface field and enhance electrical conductivity. These powders also have critical applications in process catalysts, refractory materials, and titanium dioxide manufacturing.
ECKART, a global pioneer and market leader in effect pigments, supplies aluminium powders to some of the world’s most quality-conscious customers for sophisticated applications, and its pigments are widely used by leading paint and coatings manufacturers across the globe. The joint venture combines ECKART’s deep expertise and global technology leadership with Runaya’s innovation-driven, circular-economy-focused manufacturing capabilities to build a world-class, low-carbon, high-value materials ecosystem in India.
“This joint venture strengthens India’s ability to produce high-value finished goods by enabling the domestic manufacture of advanced aluminium powders. These materials will significantly enhance the quality, efficiency, and aesthetics of final products, while also improving the performance and reliability of their end applications. Beyond expanding capacity, this facility represents an important step in India’s shift from basic metal supply to the development of engineered materials that support more sophisticated, value-driven industries,” said Naivedya Agarwal, Managing Director, Runaya.
“Our partnership with Runaya marks a powerful confluence of technology, sustainability, and innovation,” said Dr. Christian Przybyla, CEO of ECKART. “This collaboration signifies our entry into one of the world’s fastest-growing markets, while reinforcing our steadfast commitment to carbon neutrality. We look forward to deepening and growing this partnership.”
The domestic availability of these previously imported aluminium powders will provide Indian manufacturers with reliable, high-quality, cost-efficient supply, significantly reducing import dependence, shortening lead times, and strengthening supply-chain resilience for multiple strategic industries.
