The Maharashtra government on Thursday (June 18, 2026) sought the Centre’s approval to transfer six iron ore mines in Gadchiroli district, citing that the proposed allocation would boost steel production and attract ₹3 lakh crore in investment, contributing to the State’s ambition of becoming India’s largest green steel manufacturing hub.
Over 40 mineral blocks in the State are ready for auction, and the process for 14 of the 34 has already started. If six mines are given to the Maharashtra State Mining Corporation. (MSMC) of the Maharashtra Government, those mines will be operationalized in the next three to four years,” said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, adding that the target is to produce 50 million tonnes of iron ore from these mines by 2030.
On Thursday, Mr. Fadnavis and officials from several ministries met Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy and appealed to allocate the iron ores to MSMC.
Mr. Fadnavis reasoned that if the mines are operational through state corporations, then mineral production will catch up in speed, making the government a mineral distributor to steel producers. “At least 500 mines have been auctioned across the country, and only 50 of them are operational. Many mines are not viable due to the extremely high premium charged in the auction process of mines,” he added, claiming the State will produce steel at a lower cost than China.
Gadchiroli is home to several iron ore reserves, limestone, coal mines, and abundant water resources. The state has the ownership of the mines, but the central government, through the Ministry of Mines, controls the allocation framework and approvals for certain mineral blocks. If the centre accepts the request, then MSMC will get the mining leases and extract the ore, becoming the supplier.
According to the Department of Coal and Mines, the government aims to create an ecosystem with plans to develop a railway and freight network connecting JNPT and Vadhavan ports with Gadchiroli. The space has also been reserved for the railway along the Samruddhi Highway. The Maharashtra government has also signed MoUs with companies, including TATA and JSW, for the steel industries in the State.
The process of land acquisitions for various industries is underway. For this, the State government has set up a special mechanism, including a mining authority at the district level and also the mechanism for obtaining necessary permissions.
“On the lines of the bauxite mining area given to the Odisha State Corporation, if the area of about 1,300 hectares requested by Maharashtra is approved, it will give a big boost to industrial development in the state,” as per the statement.
The statement released by the CMO mentioned that Union Minister Reddy has been positive about the demand and directed the power generation companies in the state to implement an automated sample inspection system to avoid disputes and financial losses regarding the quality of coal.
State minister for Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, Additional Chief Secretary of the Power Department Abha Shukla, Union Additional Secretary Veena Kumari, Additional Secretary of the Coal Ministry Bhupinder Brar, Secretary of the State Environment Department Jayashree Bhoj, Secretary of the Water Resources Department Eknath Dawle, MIDC Chief Executive Officer Dipendrasinh Kushwaha, JNPA Chairman Gaurav Dayal, Vice Chairman Ravish Kumar Singh and officials of Coal India, Western Coalfield were present at the meeting.
Published – June 19, 2026 03:47 am IST
