Nalco sleeps, Alcoa wakes up, and RusAl restructures. Three giants in three different countries of the world. Each destined to play a major role in the bauxite, alumina and aluminium production in the world. What is in store in 2003? Definitely the best... The aluminium age seems to be taking over from the steel age, slowly, but surely. The demand is shooting up, even in the face of the downslides in the economies of a few countries and the pin-pricks which it is being subjected to, with unerring regularity. Delays and postponements notwithstanding, the best is in store for the alumninium sector. The disinvestment issue of Nalco has been a thorn in the flesh of growth. As is quite common in India, every proposal, every initiative, has to meet with opposition from a hostile or at the least, a non-agreeing school of thought. One hopes that the issue is taken up on a war footing, in the 2003-04 Budget, which is just a few days away now. The month of February is expected to be a harbinger of new times, with the eagerness and expectation that precedes the World Cup (which may have got underway when this article will be read), and the hope that industry players have pinned on the Budget, being the flavours of the month and more likely, the flavours of the calendar year 2003!
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