Bharat Aluminium Company Ltd. (BALCO) , located at a distance of about 10 k.m. from Korba Railway Station, was incorporated in the year 1965 as a Public Sector Unit (PSU). Since its inception, BALCO has been playing a vital role in the growth and development of the nation.

It is the first public sector enterprise in the country, which started producing aluminium in 1974.
BALCO has been the first in the Indian Aluminium Industry to produce the Alloy Rods, which is a Feedstock for all Aluminium Alloy Conductors, very much needed for today's power transmission lines.

Till 2001, BALCO was a public sector enterprise owned 100% by Government of India (GoI). In the year 2001, GoI divested 51% equity and management control in favour of Sterlite Industries (I) Limited.

The development of special aluminium alloys for "Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile" - Agni and "Surface Missile" - Prithvi have been significant achievements of BALCO contributing to the nation's defense capabilities.

200,000 tonnes of alumina production capacity, 100,000 tonnes per annum of smelting capacity, three Properzi Rod Mills, three pig casting machines, integrated hot and cold rolling mills, a captive power plant of 270 MW capacity are just a glimpse of BALCO's production capacity built over the last 39 years of its existence.

At BALCO, there is a constant effort to improve in all areas of operations, some of them are listed as follows:
1.Capacity of 200,000 tpa of calcined alumina, 100,000 tpa of aluminium metal and 270MW power plant.
2.Produced 203,800 tonnes of calcined alumina and 96,825 tonnes of hot metal in FY 2003-04 and sold 96,827 tonnes of aluminium.
3.Fully computerized Cold Rolling mill installed, which has precise temperature controls.
4.Hot Rolling Mill, widest 4 high hot rolling facility.
5.Received ISO 9001:2000 for manufacture and supply of calcined alumina, aluminium ingots/billets, aluminium rods and aluminium rolled products.