Hindustan Zinc Signs TERI MoU for 250-Hectare Rajasthan Ecological Restoration

Hindustan Zinc Limited has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with The Energy and Resources Institute to develop a 250-hectare ecological restoration project at its Chanderiya smelter complex in Chittorgarh, Rajasthan. The initiative is set to become the world's largest green cover area within industrial premises.

The MoU, announced on June 6, 2026, marks a significant escalation of Hindustan Zinc's biodiversity restoration efforts at one of its primary smelting facilities. The Chanderiya Lead Zinc Smelter Complex, where the project will be developed, is already the site of a prior restoration effort: 22.25 hectares of industrial wasteland have been successfully rehabilitated using TERI's proprietary Mycorrhiza technology, which accelerates plant establishment on degraded soils by inoculating root systems with beneficial fungi.

The new 250-hectare project will transform former industrial land into a self-sustaining natural ecosystem designed to enhance biodiversity and build long-term climate resilience. Hindustan Zinc, the world's largest integrated zinc producer and one of the top-10 silver producers globally, has progressively embedded environmental commitments into its operational strategy. The scale of the proposed restoration is unprecedented within global industrial settings, positioning the company as a benchmark for mining-sector ecological rehabilitation.

The partnership with TERI, one of India's foremost independent energy and environment research institutes, lends scientific credibility to the initiative and aligns with the company's broader ESG commitments. For institutional investors and ESG raters, a verified large-scale ecological restoration of this magnitude at an active smelting complex carries material significance for biodiversity and land-use impact scores. The project also supports India's national green targets and demonstrates the viability of industrial land reclamation at scale.

Key figure — 250 hectares