Key Takeaway
- Delivered record mined metal production across multiple mining complexes
- Expanded automation and tele-remote mining operations across underground assets
- Strengthened deeper mining capabilities through geotechnical engineering
- HZL 2.0 priorities: New infrastructure development to support expansion, enhancing remote operations and geotechnical capabilities to scale safety, and increasing underground waste utilisation to support sustainable mining
Our underground mines are redefining mining in a new era. From advanced methodologies to AIenabled digital technologies, operational discipline, and world-class safety and sustainable practices, every mine in our portfolio is a global benchmark in next-generation mining. The result is a year of records across all parameters, while advancing automation, digitalisation, and geotechnical science to support the next phase of growth under HZL 2.0.
Mines Overview
We operate eight underground mines at five locations in Rajasthan, India. These mines are hosted by the Proterozoic-age sediment-dominated sequences, and their ore has undergone several deformation and metamorphic events. Their orebody host rocks range from strong dolomites to foliated metasediments at depths up to 1,000 metres below the surface.
One of our mines, Bamnia Kalan, located in the vicinity of Rajpura Dariba, whose mine plan was approved by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) in January 2024, is now under development. Further expansion is being planned in all the mines for achieving the vision of HZL 2.0.
8 Underground Mines I 5 Locations I 16.61 Mnt Total Ore Production
| Mines | Ore Mined | Zinc Mined Metal | Lead Mined Metal | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2025 | FY2026 | |||||
| ('000 tonnes) | ('000 tonnes) | ('000 tonnes) | Grade (%) | ('000 tonnes) | Grade (%) | ('000 tonnes) | Grade (%) | ('000 tonnes) | Grade (%) | |
| Rampura Agucha Mine (RAM) | 4,790 | 5,077 | 515 | 11.74 | 534 | 11.54 | 52 | 1.69 | 42 | 1.32 |
| Sindesar Khurd Mine (SKM) | 5,476 | 5,431 | 134 | 2.73 | 148 | 3.02 | 88 | 1.83 | 84 | 1.80 |
| Rajpura Dariba Mine (RDM) | 1,168 | 1,025 | 49 | 4.41 | 47 | 5.06 | 10 | 1.13 | 9 | 1.27 |
| Zawar Mine* | 4,203 | 4,365 | 132 | 3.36 | 142 | 3.53 | 78 | 2.01 | 72 | 1.82 |
| Kayad Mine (KM) | 694 | 715 | 32 | 5.07 | 32 | 4.89 | 4 | 0.74 | 3 | 0.66 |
| Total | 16,331 | 16,613 | 863 | 5.76 | 904 | 5.96 | 232 | 1.74 | 210 | 1.58 |
*Includes four mines, namely Mochia, Balaria, Baroi and Zawarmala
Records That Rewrote Our Mining Playbook
Rampura Agucha Mine
- Highest-ever mined metal production of 576 kt, shaft hoisting of 2.94 Mnt, and stope recovery of 92.5%
- Record ore production and ore treatment of 5.08 Mnt and 5.76 Mnt, respectively
- First time underground waste dumping of 139 kt, eliminating surface haulage
Zawar Group of Mines
- Record mined metal production of 214 kt
- Crossed 1 Mnt of ore production and extracted first-ever ore (53 kt) from the Railway-River pillar at Balaria Mine
- Established the longest raise of 600.2 m at Balaria Mine
- Production commencement from the Rawa block (222-192 mRL) in Mochia mine
- Highest-ever stope recovery across Hindustan Zinc
Sindesar Khurd Mine
- World’s 1st tele-remote raise bore operation
- Ever-highest mine development of 27.6 km
Rajpura Dariba Mine
- Record mined metal production of 56.6 kt and ore production of 443 kt from ramp
- Commissioned India’s 1st diesel-electric loader of 17 tonnes capacity
- Started new mine access decline development for increasing the material handling capacity
Kayad Mine
- Deployed a new mining method of long hole open stoping (LHOS) variant for shallow-dipping ore bodies of 30 degrees or lesser
Future-Ready Mining with Advanced Methods
Efficient underground mining systems
- Long hole open stoping (LHOS): LHOS deployed across all mines to optimise ore recovery
- Smart backfill systems: Tailings-based paste and hydraulic backfill stabilises stopes, supports rock walls, and enables safe access to deeper ore bodies
Automation and digital mining
- Tele-remote operations: Drills, raise bore machines, and loaders run remotely, enabling 200 km of production drilling during smoke hours in FY2026
- Mine Excellence pilot project: Achieved stope recovery of 94% through drill and blast optimisation
- Advanced technology-led safety systems: Collision avoidance and seismic monitoring to strengthen safe and sustainable underground mining
Innovative extraction approaches
- Top-down sequencing: Pioneered at Rampura Agucha, Sindesar Khurd, and Rajpura Dariba, delivering improved cost efficiency and ore yields versus conventional bottom-up approach.
Engineering Stability at Greater Depths
In complex mining environments, geotechnical engineering is critical to safe and successful ore extraction. We have fully embedded geotechnical engineering across our operations to ensure that, as mining advances to greater depths and higher stress conditions, production targets are achieved safely, reliably, and efficiently. Besides safety, geotechnical engineering will be critical to sustain production growth under HZL 2.0.
Key efforts undertaken by our geotechnical teams include:
- Adopting innovative geological data collection and representation techniques, including enhanced fault mapping, to better characterise rock mass quality
- Applying advanced numerical modelling to predict mine response over the life of operations and quantify stress and deformation regimes
- Implementing comprehensive ground support systems, including bolts, cables, mesh, and sprayed concrete, to ensure long-term stability of underground excavations
- Deploying real-time monitoring systems to proactively manage ground behaviour, including RADAR for open-pit slope stability at Rampura Agucha and seismic monitoring in deeper underground mines