Ramam said that for India to reach 300 million tonnes of steel capacity, high-grade ore from districts like Gadchiroli, having over 6,000 hectares of mineral-bearing land, would be vital. “65-plus grade iron ore will change the mining story of India,” he said.Senior executives from Lloyds, Sarda Group, Jayaswal Neco Group and green energy firms described how mineral reserves, administrative support from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari, and emerging infrastructure are reshaping industrial confidence in the district.Prabhakaran, CMD of Lloyds Metals and Energy, said the company’s early engagement with tribal communities was central to its operations. “We spoke to tribals to bring them back to the mainstream,” he said, crediting follow-up at the state level for expediting environmental and policy clearances. Prabhakaran said the company’s lease spans 350 hectares, with indicative iron ore potential across more than 6,000 hectares. “Even a tribal girl is driving a truck today, and surrendered Maoists are working with us,” he said, adding, “Once they became skilled, we made them shareholders.”Manish Sarda, deputy managing director of Sarda Energy and Minerals, said the Tata-Lloyds partnership indicates the scale of opportunity, citing a huge quantity of iron ore in the district. “Anyone looking for a big industry should consider Gadchiroli,” he said, noting that the Sarda Group, which has a workforce of 6,000 employees across states, has secured a lease of a mine in Gadchiroli.Avinish Jaiswal, executive director of Jayaswals Neco, called Gadchiroli “the shining steel story of India”, recalling that plans by his grandfather for a plant in the 1990s shifted to Raipur due to constraints. The company now inked a pact for a 2 million tonne steel plant in the district. “The direct support from the CM’s office is commendable,” he said.Anup Goyal of Greta Energy said a 1.2 million tonne green steel plant is being set up in Bhadravati, Chandrapur, supported by coal gasification. “Our projected carbon emissions will be 0.3%. Very few plants across India have that profile,” he said, linking green steel ambitions to ore availability in Gadchiroli.Prabhakaran said the Gadchiroli Mineral Corporation, formed under the CM, is in the final stages of ensuring that 150 million tonnes of ore is reserved for Maharashtra industries.
