India’s government-run manganese miner MOIL Limited is exploring a foray into iron ore mining, a company official said on Monday, April 21.
“We have approached the state government of Maharashtra for an iron ore block to be allocated to us. The government can offer the block directly to us as permitted in the case of government companies or allocate it through the auction route. We are flexible on both routes,” MOIL Limited’s chairman and managing director Ajit Kumar Saxena said in a statement.
Mr. Saxena said that the company would be seeking an iron ore block in the Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra.
MOIL Limited currently operates seven manganese ore mines in Maharashtra and the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh.
Saxena said that the company was also looking at entering nickel mining operations for which it was scouting for suitable assets overseas.