The discussion focused on the projects being implemented by the metals and mining company, in particular, in the IT and import substitution, environment, and development of new materials. Separately, the Norilsk Nickel CEO briefed the President on social support measures for the company’s staff.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Potanin, you are working in many spheres, but how is the parent company doing?
Norilsk Nickel CEO Vladimir Potanin: Norilsk Nickel is our top priority today, of course. The company has been working in difficult conditions for a long time, at least for the past five years, but we have acquired many useful skills over that period. We have learned how to enter new markets and build a new payment architecture and logistics chains. We have replaced almost all foreign-made software with domestic alternatives and no longer depend on our former Western partners.
Vladimir Putin: Which Russian company developed software for you?
Vladimir Potanin: As you know, the Metallurgy Industrial Competence Centre (ICC) is operating in the sphere of import substitution to connect us with software developers, and we have paid our own money to substitute many software programmes. They are also available to our industry colleagues, just as the products of other competence centres are available to us.
Vladimir Putin: In other words, you have done this not only for your company but also for your colleagues, right?
Vladimir Potanin: Yes, we have done this not only for ourselves but also for our colleagues. They were also involved in this project because they need these products, too. As I have said, we also use the products created for our colleagues; it is a healthy exchange that benefits all sides.
You know that we do this while maintaining high social standards and meeting our environmental commitments. Over 10,000 families have recently improved their living conditions in the Norilsk Industrial District alone.
As for ecology, last year, we exceeded our commitments under the Clean Air project by approximately 50 percent, and this year we will exceed them twofold.
Vladimir Putin: In all the 12 cities?
Vladimir Potanin: Yes, and we have made a very substantial contribution to this programme. Norilsk Nickel accounts for over one third of it, and we intend to continue doing this.
We are now working to eliminate our remaining dependence on technologies from countries with which cooperation has become increasingly difficult. Our teams have all but performed a feat in completing this sulphur programme, which is now yielding such impressive results. We therefore intend to complete the remaining stages of the programme using exclusively Russian technologies, or, where necessary, in cooperation with partners from friendly jurisdictions.
Our performance in 2025 and this year shows that we have almost completely adapted to the challenging conditions in which we operate. This is reflected, among other things, in record ore production: this year we expect to mine more than 17 million tonnes of ore in the Norilsk Industrial District. We have also managed to reverse the decline in labour productivity and return to productivity growth. We intend to make further gains in productivity one of our key priorities.
Vladimir Putin: I know you are achieving this by using the most advanced technologies.
Vladimir Potanin: Absolutely. The scope for raising labour productivity through traditional methods is largely exhausted, which is why we are relying on automation and have even begun introducing robotics into mining processes. All of this is being implemented with the help of artificial intelligence.
Vladimir Putin: Yes, I have been briefed on that.
Vladimir Potanin: Indeed. We attach great importance to the adoption of artificial intelligence. Last year alone, the economic effect of introducing these technologies amounted to around 10 billion rubles. By 2030, we expect that figure to increase to 30 billion rubles.
These are not merely aspirations or unfounded plans. We already have concrete projects underway with our partners, including our Belarusian partners at BELAZ. In addition to the long-established supply and servicing of mining equipment for Norilsk, we have now begun…
Vladimir Putin: From Belarus?
Vladimir Potanin: We import conventional equipment from Belarus, while maintenance and repair works are carried out locally at Russian facilities.
But we have now also embarked on a programme for the development of mining machinery, specifically next-generation units capable of operating underground in an autonomous, unmanned mode. The results of the initial testing of such technologies are encouraging. Should these developments prove successful, we intend to share these advancements with our colleagues. Indeed, in essence, we are now only a few steps away from deploying such units underground and realising a fully unmanned mine.
Vladimir Putin: Excellent. How is the current situation on global markets shaping up?
Vladimir Potanin: Mr President, the market environment is indeed challenging. On the one hand, demand for our metals remains stable; on the other, the refusal of numerous countries to purchase our goods has made logistics and sales challenging.
How are we addressing this challenge? Not solely through the conventional and traditional means of cooperating with partners and seeking new markets, but also through the utilisation of new technologies. In particular, here we are being assisted by artificial intelligence technologies. Drawing upon the rich Russian and Soviet tradition in materials science, we have commenced research into the properties of palladium. We started with palladium, with creating a dedicated palladium laboratory.
Examining its properties and crystal lattice enables us to create materials with new areas of application – not merely for traditional uses, such as catalytic converters for motor vehicles, but, through the acquisition of novel material properties, to open up new technology markets. We have already achieved initial successes in this regard.
Vladimir Putin: This should be in demand in our country as well.
Vladimir Potanin: Mr President, we are keeping a very close eye on the domestic market. Sales of most of our metals are rising here at home. We are also looking into introducing new materials within the country – but that goes hand in hand with automation and the adoption of modern technologies in the sectors where they are most needed.
I should say that we absolutely have to focus on this – and we will – because we can clearly see how countries with high levels of automation are reaping the benefits of artificial intelligence, new materials and other innovations.
Vladimir Putin: How many people do you employ at the moment?
Vladimir Potanin: Around 85,000 across the group.
Vladimir Putin: And what is the average salary?
Vladimir Potanin: It is 217,000 roubles, which is quite high – roughly double the national average, for example.
But then, conditions up North are different. So it would not be much of an achievement just to pay well if we did not back it up with a substantial benefits package. Our staff get free travel to and from their holidays, for instance. We run extensive health insurance programmes, with very good voluntary health cover for our employees.
By the way, I mentioned those who had their housing conditions improved – but that does not include the people who benefited from the relocation programme you initiated back in 2010, when you visited Norilsk (co‑financed by Norilsk Nickel, with government money as well). That is another 10,000 families who moved, as Norilsk residents say, to the ‘mainland,’ to a more comfortable environment.
On top of that, one of the biggest milestones was getting the internet to Norilsk ten years ago. It does not bear thinking about what would have happened if we had been penny‑pinching back then and had not laid that fibre‑optic cable. It was quite a feat, actually – a thousand kilometres across the tundra, through very difficult terrain. But it all works, thank goodness.
Vladimir Putin: Good. Thank you.