added 32 million tonnes (mt) of gross ore resources and reserves (R&R) during 2025-26. The company completed 464.32 kilometres of exploration drilling during the year, with over 88 per cent of drill holes intersecting mineralisation.
A media statement said the company delivered its highest ever mined metal production of 1.114 mt in 2025-26, while its ore reserves increased nearly 16 per cent, year-on-year to a record 219.1 mt from 189.1 mt in 2024-25.
Total resources and reserves expanded to an all-time high of 468.6 mt, providing visibility for more than 25 years of mine life and strengthening long-term raw material security for the company’s planned expansion plans, it said.
For a mining business operating at scale, exploration is central not only to replacing the ore extracted each year but also to creating additional inventory for future growth. Hindustan Zinc’s sustained additions alongside record mining demonstrate the ability of its existing asset base to continue generating new resource potential. The company’s metal reserves stood at 13.9 mt at the end of 2025-26, the highest since its transition to underground mining, it said.
Evaluating broader potential
Quoting Amarendu Prakash, CEO of Hindustan Zinc Ltd, the statement said: “A strong resource base is fundamental to building a mining business for the long term. As we scale towards HZL2.0, exploration is enabling us to simultaneously replenish what we mine, expand our reserve inventory and build greater confidence in the future potential of our assets. Adding 32 mt of ore resources and reserves in a year of record mined metal production reinforces the quality and longevity of our asset base. We will continue to invest in technology-led exploration as we build the resource foundation for Hindustan Zinc’s next phase of growth and evolution into a multi-metal company.”
Beyond zinc, lead and silver, Hindustan Zinc is increasingly evaluating the broader mineral potential associated with its extensive ore bodies. The company’s exploration and resource development strategy forms part of its ambition to evolve from a predominantly zinc-lead-silver producer into a diversified multi-metal company, while strengthening domestic availability of metals critical to India’s manufacturing, infrastructure and energy-transition ambitions, the statement said.