- Headquartered in Mumbai, Runaya has 4 operating facilities with a workforce of 125 at Jharsuguda, Bhilwara, Dariba & Silvassa
- Runaya’s 100% waste recycling is a big leap from the traditional industry benchmarks of 50% waste recycling in the resources sector
- Founded by Naivedya Agarwal and Annanya Agarwal, Runaya consists of two companies, Runaya Refining & Runaya Metsource
Sustainability is a focus point globally, and that is reflected through various initiatives by public and private institutions in diversified sectors. Runaya, one of the fastest-growing manufacturing start-ups in the sustainability segment, is catering to the massive mining waste management opportunity and addressing the biggest waste challenges of the resources sector. Runaya is changing the mineral and metal industry in the country, by innovating environmentally friendly technology solutions, promote a circular economy, with zero-waste philosophy and sustainability at the heart of its business.
Runaya was founded in 2017 by Naivedya Agarwal and Annanya Agarwal with the vision to deploy cutting edge technology in the manufacturing space in India. This, coupled with their passion to conserve the environment and create sustainable solutions, made the duo realize the importance of technology and innovation in the modern-day resources and manufacturing space. Today through their breakthrough approach, they aim to deliver a significant positive impact on the mining and metals industry.
Transforming Resources Industry with Cutting Edge Technology
“We are aiming to revolutionize the resources industry by creating innovative solutions that leverage best-in-class technology and relationships with global industry leaders in the resources sector”, says the Agarwal brothers talking exclusively to Machine Maker about Runaya as well as Sustainability in Manufacturing. Naivedya and Annanya, sons of resources billionaire Navin Agarwal, Vice Chairman of Vedanta, is transforming aluminum waste from smelters in refineries through innovative technologies, through their startup Runaya.
“When we look back from our start, the last three years of Runaya is very exciting. It is a matter of great pride for us that we are pioneering most of our projects for the first time in the country”, said Naivedya. When both Naivedya and Annanya decided to chart out their own path and start a venture of their own, knew that they wanted to do things differently.
“Given our legacy and the strength of our family businesses, we knew that we would find our calling where our domain of expertise lay – centred around the mining, resources and manufacturing spaces. Adding in a healthy dollop of technology to the above, and bringing in an angle of sustainable practices, Runaya was born”, adds Naivedya Agarwal.
Runaya is a culturally diverse organisation – with 50% women workforce – something which is not prevalent in the manufacturing industry. “We firmly believe that it is a myth that the manufacturing and resources sector is a ‘men’s only’ domain”, adds Annanya. Diversity, equality and inclusion have been the cornerstone of Runaya’s beliefs and ethos. A minimum of 50% gender diversity across all of its businesses is a stated policy of Runaya, which is hitherto unheard of in the manufacturing and resources sector that it operates in.
Making in India: Building Atmanirbhar Bharat with High-Tech Manufacturing
“Given we are a pioneer in most of our products, we are indeed playing our small role in the country’s call for an “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and to “Make in India”. For example, our Dross Processing business is the first of its kind in the country”, said Naivedya. For Runaya, the aim is to manufacture within India, thereby bringing in import substitution and create jobs as well to contribute towards the growth of the country.
“We believe in creating a market altogether; not just looking out to the opportunities of improving an existing market share. Our ground support solutions business will see huge growth with the government’s focus on the development of National Highways and Railways, all of which require tunnel development. This is a huge opportunity for us, as is the opening up of the mining sector for all minerals including coal”, added Mr Agarwal.
Recently the duo signed a joint venture with Australia based Minova, a wholly-owned division of Orica, to manufacture niche products for the mining sector. “Our joint venture with Minova for our ground support solutions business will be disruptive for the mining, tunnelling and infrastructure industries. In India the new business will change the entire landscape of safety standards and performance”, said Naivedya Agarwal. For instance, in their ground support systems business, the products improve safety performance through a Zero Rate of Failure and the Polymeric resins have a quick-drying mechanism that has helped improve productivity in mine and tunnel development by 25% for their customers.
Minova Runaya Private Limited (MRPL), a joint venture between Runaya Met source and Minova International, is coming up with a plant in Bhilwara, Rajasthan. The project is in its final stages and will manufacture products including rock bolts, resin capsules, injection chemicals, wire mesh and high-quality ventilation systems. Through this joint venture, transformational enhancements in safety standards across mining, infrastructure and tunnelling applications are expected to be delivered.
The other manufacturing project currently underway is the high technology product of Fiber Reinforced Plastic rods which find applications in the telecommunication industry including Fiber Optic Cables at Silvassa. Our current capacity to be installed is of 1million kilometres and 20% of the production will be through solar energy. In fact, all of our plant and facilities that are coming up are fully green-compliant bringing together a host of sustainable practices and solutions.
“At our Minova-Runaya plant, we are manufacturing Secura Bolts, Friction Bolts and Polymeric Resins for the mining and tunnelling industries. We are also involved in manufacturing Fiber Reinforced Plastic Rods (FRP) for the structural integrity of optical fibre cables for 4G and 5G deployment”, added Naivedya.
Bringing Global Technology to India: Alliances & Partnerships
Runaya had a partnership with Russia’s UC Rusal in 2017 for the production of aluminium powder and paste in India. “We felt that the market wasn’t mature enough at that time for these products, but we are still evaluating this space and monitoring it closely,” says Naivedya. As stated above, for bringing advanced technology to India in international mining and infrastructure sectors Runaya already signed a partnership with Minova International. MRPLwill combines Runaya’s project and manufacturing capabilities with Minova’s technical expertise and global reach, to manufacture and supply ground support products.
Runaya also has a technological tie-up with TAHA International SA (Luxemburg) for their aluminium dross project currently. “In terms of our projects, all of them have been executed with strict adherence to project timelines, budgets, with best-in-class project execution partners including Tata Projects, Deloitte and KMF from Austria”, adds Naivedya Agarwal.
Sustainability in Manufacturing: Conserve Environment & Create Sustainable Solutions
Talking about the measures taken out by Runaya on sustainability, Annanya Agarwal said, “Our passion at Runaya is to conserve the environment and create sustainable solutions and the businesses that Runaya is into, stand testament to this.” The vision is to deploy cutting edge technology to enable innovation, sustainability and efficiency improvement in the resources sector. The company has successfully built up a core team of experienced professionals and is in the advanced stages of executing a portfolio of projects aligned to this vision.
Further Annanya adds that with the given grave situation that our environment finds itself in, it is imperative that Runaya build sustainable models of growth that promote a circular economy. “The focus should be to reduce, reuse and recycle and we definitely more awareness around this. One of the major concerns the world is facing today is the disposal of waste from the resources sector”, adds Annanya. The environmental impact of the annual waste created by the mining and metal processing industry, which is estimated at ~174 billion MT, is a global problem that needs to be addressed on priority, believes Annanya.
“If we talk about Aluminium alone, the world produces ~65 million tons of aluminium per annum currently, which results in ~1 million ton of aluminium dross being produced every year. Dross is a worthless by-product from aluminium smelting, and the world is yet to find a comprehensive solution for its disposal. The technology currently in operation can process a maximum of 50% of the dross. “This will be resulting in over 0.5 million tons of dross ending up in landfills, and this is a major environmental concern we are facing from just the aluminium industry”, says Annanya Agarwal.
To overcome this challenge, Runaya has implemented an innovative and sustainable model, which is the first in India, to eliminate landfills. The patented cutting edge three-stage process through hot processing, cold processing, and slag conditioning can process the mining waste and increase the metal recovery. “This technology, which ensures 100% utilization of waste, will sure disrupt the resources industry. There is no technology available, currently, the best practices for waste treatment which include salt addition and reheating can only process 50% of waste!”, adds Annanya.
In the case of aluminium dross processing that will be undertaken by Runaya, 40% of waste will be recovered as aluminium metal, and the final residue will then be used to manufacture briquettes which will be sold as a premium raw material for the steel industry. Runaya is promoting a circular economy that is restorative by design, enabling a sustainable technology-driven solution to convert mineral waste to wealth.
Runaya’s breakthrough approach is delivering a significant positive impact on the mining and metals industry. In the case of aluminium dross, it reduces waste by recovering more metal through processing, 40% of scrap is converted back to aluminium metal. It achieves zero waste and zero discharge – the final residue is utilised to manufacture briquettes which are sold as a premium raw material for the steel industry.
