BALCO deploys India’s first humanoid AI for safer smelters

Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a Vedanta Aluminium unit, has deployed ALAISA (Aluminium AI Support Agent) — a first-of-its-kind humanoid, AI-powered assistant — to boost shop-floor capability, operational efficiency, and industrial safety.

Operational at BALCO’s Chhattisgarh smelter complex, ALAISA serves as an on-ground training, knowledge, and decision-support interface for shop-floor teams. It integrates conversational AI with plant-specific intelligence to provide real-time guidance on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Standard Maintenance Practices (SMPs), and safety protocols — at the point of operation.

Commenting on the deployment, Rajiv Kumar, CEO of Vedanta Aluminium, said, “Digitalisation is fundamentally reshaping manufacturing. At Vedanta Aluminium, we are embedding advanced technologies into core operations. ALAISA reflects our commitment to intelligent, future-ready systems that enhance human capability. By combining AI insights with shop-floor expertise, we are strengthening safety, process reliability, and workforce confidence.”

In its initial phase, ALAISA has trained over 100 employees via structured modules, real-time query resolution, and assessment-driven evaluations.

Uday Chauhan, PGT at BALCO, shared his experience: “Before potline work, I underwent safety training on SOPs via ALAISA. It was remarkable. Despite being a robot, it matched human-trainer effectiveness.”