India’s Essar Group has drawn up to re-enter the steel industry through organic and inorganic routes, company sources said on Monday, February 27.
Essar Steel’s assets located in the western state of Gujarat were acquired by the combination of ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel through the bankruptcy resolution process and has since 2019 been operated by ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel Limited (AMNS).
Essar Group sources said that, while it has been shortlisted among bidders for NMDC Steel Limited’s 3 million mt greenfield steel mill project nearing completion in Chhattigarh state, the group is also exploring options to construct a greenfield steel mill in Odisha and Karnataka. The sources said that land is being actively sought in these two states as the latter offers sufficient supplies of iron ore.
For starters, Essar Group would be looking to set up greenfield steel mills in a capacity range of 3-4 million mt per year, with the option to ramp it up to levels of 8-10 million mt per year in subsequent phases.