Tata Metaliks eyes WB, MP, Karnataka sites

The company has expressed interest in setting up projects in all the three states. However details of the proposed projects would emerge later, said Harsh K Jha, managing director, Tata Metaliks, on the sidelines of the company's annual general meeting.

Meanwhile the company had decided to venture further into downstream projects. H M Nerurkar, chairman, Tata Metaliks said, the company would evaluate castings especially auto castings.

The first unit could come up near Kharagpur in West Bengal, where Tata Metaliks already has a plant. Nerurkar said, the other unit could come up nears the Redi plant in Maharashtra or the south.

The details of the project would be finalized in 5-6 months' time. In West Bengal, Tata Metaliks had plans for an integrated steel project and the land being acquired by West Bengal Industrial Corporation (WBIDC) was delayed.

One of Tata Metaliks' forward integration projects was already underway. A joint venture company, Tata Metaliks Kubota Pipes, with Kubota Corporation and Metal One of Japan was incorporated last year.

The ductile iron (DI) pipes project with 110,000 tons capacity would be near the existing plant at Kharagpur and production was expected to begin by last quarter of the financial year.

A part of the liquid iron produced from the Kharagpur unit would be diverted to the joint venture company for DI pipe production at arms' length price.

Tata Metaliks sources its iron ore requirements from Tata Steel's captive mines at prices prevailing in the international markets.