DIGITALLY TRANSFORMING ZINC SALES & LOGISTICS AT HINDUSTAN ZINC

PROBLEM STATEMENT

In the traditionally structured metal industry, sales of zinc and silver were often managed through manual, opaque processes that limited real-time price discovery and created barriers for smaller or remote buyers. This affected customer participation and restricted the company’s ability to dynamically link premiums to market rates. On the logistics front, coordination with fleet owners was fragmented, with limited digital integration, leading to inefficiencies, higher costs, and reduced accessibility for MSMEs. As customer expectations evolved and the metals market became increasingly competitive, there was a clear need for a digitally-enabled ecosystem that could streamline sales, ensure price transparency, and modernise freight management to deliver a more responsive and scalable solution.

OUR APPROACH

Hindustan Zinc undertook a dual-pronged digital strategy to overhaul its sales and logistics operations:

1. Digital Auctions for Zinc & Silver Sales

• Launched a robust e-auction platform in FY2025 to digitise the metal buying process
• Created a level playing field for buyers across India, allowing real-time participation
• Pegged product premiums to live market rates, ensuring dynamic and fair pricing
• Focused on enhancing customer experience with transparency and ease of access

2. Digitally-Enabled Zinc Freight Bazaar

• Introduced a tech-enabled freight marketplace for optimising logistics
• Brought together fleet owners and transporters, enhancing route efficiency and cost competitiveness
• Enabled end-to-end digital tracking, from auction to delivery
• Promoted collaborative logistics for smaller buyers through shared transport models

KEY OUTCOMES

• 100% of silver and 70% of zinc now sold via digital auction platforms
• Improved pricing transparency and market-linked premiums, enhancing customer satisfaction
• Significant operational efficiency gains in freight booking and delivery management
• Enhanced accessibility for MSMEs and remote buyers, democratising metal procurement
• Strengthened trust and brand equity, positioning Hindustan Zinc as a digital-first metals company