Indian minerals companies consider entering mining services

In view of the Indian government’s proposal to implement paradigm shifts in the mining policy regime, several domestic mineral processing companies have started toying with options of entering merchant mining or float arms to offer mine developer operator (MDO) services to new investors. Several domestic minerals processing companies have expressed an interest in spreading their mining operations beyond captive production, triggered by recent government policy proposals, including the opening up of coal mining for commercial production by independent investors and bringing coking coal production under the administrative control of the Steel Ministry, instead of the Coal Ministry, which currently facilitates coking coal production.