Inside the sprawling complex of Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) on the Malabar coast lies India’s only titanium sponge plant. Since 2011, this facility has produced the spongy silver-grey metal that forms the backbone of modern fighters, submarines and missiles, Mathrubhumi reported.

It is a national achievement, placing India among just seven countries worldwide with this capability. 

Yet the plant has remained stuck at a ceiling of 500 tons per year for 15 years, even as defence programs have expanded at unprecedented speed.

India’s titanium reserves are vast, with the country holding the world’s third-largest ilmenite and second-largest rutile deposits. The technology, developed by the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory in Hyderabad, works reliably. But capacity has not grown.

Every ton of sponge produced at Kerala must pass through Mishra Dhatu Nigam in Hyderabad before becoming aerospace-grade alloys. This single downstream facility is the only domestic source of qualified titanium alloys for defence use. Engineers at MIDHANI describe the process as a juggling act, where any disruption in sponge supply, alloy capacity or testing slots threatens the entire chain.

The TEJAS MK-1A program is the most immediate pressure point. Hindustan Aeronautics has scaled production to 24 aircraft annually and aims for 30 by 2027–28 to meet an order book of 180 fighters. Each airframe requires titanium alloys for engine mounts, landing gear and structural components. 

Sustaining this pace demands a continuous supply of alloys, which the current capped chain cannot guarantee.

The Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project raises the stakes further. Series production is scheduled for 2035, but alloy qualification and capacity expansion must begin years earlier. Submarine construction adds another layer of demand, with propulsion and pressure-critical components drawing from the same limited supply.

For KMML’s workers, the 500-ton limit is both pride and frustration. They are the only ones in India who can produce titanium sponge, yet they cannot expand output.

At MIDHANI, the pressure is even more personal. They are not just making metal; they are making the bones of India’s fighters and submarines. Any failure risks national security.

A potential solution lies in the proposed KMML-SAIL joint venture. This partnership would combine SAIL’s expertise in large-scale metal production with KMML’s technology to expand sponge capacity beyond the current limit.

Analysts argue its timeline must be publicly linked to TEJAS and AMCA delivery schedules and treated as critical defence infrastructure. KMML has indicated plans to scale production to over 1,000 tons annually, but this has yet to materialise.

The company also highlights its unique role as India’s only producer of rutile-grade titanium dioxide through the chloride route.

Defence analysts outline three urgent steps. First, fast-track the KMML-SAIL joint venture and tie its schedule to fighter and submarine deliveries.

Second, diversify supply beyond MIDHANI by qualifying at least one additional alloy producer.

Third, embed mineral and alloy sourcing disclosure into future Defence Acquisition Procedure contracts, ensuring new orders come with documented supply chains rather than assumptions.

The window to act is closing. AMCA’s 2035 production start sets the deadline, since qualification and expansion take years. A decision within the current defence budget cycle would still arrive in time. India’s titanium challenge is not about scarce resources but about capacity planning that has failed to match defence procurement.

The ore exists, the technology works, but policy attention has lagged behind ambition. For the workers at KMML and MIDHANI, the stakes are clear. They are not just making metal. They are making the future of India’s defence. And right now, that future is stuck at 500 tonnes a year.

Agencies