Indian steelmaker Tata Steel is buying iron ore for the first time in its history following the closure of its iron ore mines in Jharkhand and Odisha, according to media reports. Tata Steel is supplying its 9.7 million mt Jamshedpur steel plant with imports or iron ore bought from domestic sources.
The company has bought iron ore from the India-based miner NMDC, while also importing from Australia.
India was already facing an iron ore shortage due to court orders in force banning iron ore mining in Karnataka and Goa for the last two years and the shortage worsened this year with the closure of mines in Jharkhand and Odisha because of expiry of licenses.