NMDC in talks with Tata for steel plant

Iron ore miner NMDC today said it is in talks with Tata Steel to sign an equal joint venture for setting up a 2-million tonne per annum steel plant at Bastar in Chhattisgarh.

"We are in talks with Tata Steel to set up 50:50 JV for a 2-million tonne per annum steel plant in South Bastar," NMDC Technical Director N K Nanda told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here.

Nanda, however, declined to divulge any further details on the proposed joint venture.

"Nothing has been finalised, only an MoU has been signed between Tata and us. Probably after sometime, NMDC and Tata may come together to set up a 2-million tonne per annum steel plant," he said.

"To take it forward, both the Boards will have to discuss it further," Nanda added.

State-run NMDC and Tata Steel had signed the MoU in January last year to examine the possibility of a strategic alliance for acquisition, exploration and development of mines and setting up integrated steel plants.

The iron ore miner has, however, started working on its own 3-million tonne per annum steel plant in Chhattisgarh.

"We are going ahead with our own steel plant (of 3 million tonne per annum). We have already floated nine tenders for that. Two of them -- main plant and blast furnace -- have been finalised. We are expecting that production will begin by 2014," he said.