UK’s Vedanta Resources working with regulators to restart Tamil Nadu’s copper smelter

At least nine people were killed on Tuesday when police fired at violent protesters calling for the closure of the Thootukudi copper smelter, which is run by its Indian subsidiary Vedanta Ltd’s Sterlite Copper unit.

British mining and energy group Vedanta Resources Plc is working with regulators to expedite restarting its copper smelter in Tamil Nadu, it said on Wednesday, a day after protests turned violent at the plant.

The company also posted a 27% rise in full-year core profit to $4.1 billion, driven by stronger commodity prices.

At least nine people were killed on Tuesday, when police fired at violent protesters calling for the closure of the Thootukudi copper smelter, which is run by its Indian subsidiary Vedanta Ltd’s Sterlite Copper unit.

Demonstrations against the copper plant, one of India’s biggest, have been going on for more than three months, with protesters alleging that it is a major source of pollution and risk to fisheries, and demands the plant be shut permanently.