JSW, Adani, Tata, Vedanta, Arcellor-Mittal, JSPL in race for 20 Iron Ore, Manganese mines in Odisha

Biznext Bureau

Bhubaneswar:  Several big names in the Indian Mining and Metal sector are in the race for 20 mining blocks in Odisha. As many as 282 companies including several big names in Indian Mining and metal industry have submitted their bids for the 20 blocks which include 12 Iron Ore, 2 Manganese and 6 Iron Ore & Manganese blocks.

Some of the big names include Tata Steel, JSW, Vedanta, Essel mining & Industries, JSPL, Adani Enterprises, Rungta Mines, Arcellor Mittal, Serajuddin & Co, Lal Traders, Yezdhani Steels, Pro Minerals, BRPL, RINL, KJS etc.

The companies who are in race for Nuagaon Iron Ore block, the largest block among the 20 blocks, are JSW, TS Alloys (a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Steel), Rungta,Vedanta,Adani and Arcellor Mittal. The Nuagaon Iron Ore Block has proven Iron Ore deposit of 792 million tonnes which is spread over 767 hectares.

The Technical Bids were opened on Saturday and the bid documents are being verified. By end of this month of in the first week of February the initial price bids of technically qualified bidders will be opened. The Odisha government intends to conclude the auction process and issue letters of intends (LoI) by end of February, said an official at the Steel and Mines Department, Government of Odisha.

In December the government of Odisha cancelled auction of 29 mining blocks, after complaints of irregularities and invited fresh bids for 20 blocks. The rest 9 blocks will be conducted before March, according to Director of Mines Deepak Mohanty.