Tata invests in ferro alloy units in Bishnupur

Delhi Delhi: Tata Group has returned to Bengal with its steel plant in the temple town of Bankura, which is set for commercial production by the end of the 2025-26 financial year. A senior official of Tata Steel Mining, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Steel, said the Rs 780-crore plan was implemented after approval by the Calcutta bench of the National Company Law Tribunal in the last two years, helped by the acquisition through insolvency and bankruptcy of three ferro chrome units worth Rs 617 crore and a ferro alloy unit on 28 acres within the West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation at Bishnupur with an additional cost of Rs 164 crore in 2022. The company infused fresh capital of Rs 62.60 crore before starting production on August 1 last. Tata aims to increase production from 60,000 metric tonnes per annum to 65,000 metric tonnes per annum by the end of 2025-26, top company officials told The Statesman in an official statement today.

After complete overhauling and refurbishment of the acquired plant, Tata had initially planned to convert the Bishnupur unit with a crude steel production capacity of 0.1 million tonnes per annum of stainless steel and ferro chrome. The official said: “The plant will use raw materials such as iron scrap, sponge and pig iron.” The new plant is set to eventually strengthen Tata Steel’s position in the stainless steel and ferro chrome business. Tata has recently converted the ferro alloys unit of Bishnupur acquired by it into a stainless steel manufacturing unit. Tata Steel MD and CEO, T V Narendran commented that their recent Bengal development will help the steel major strengthen the company’s stainless steel business. Bishnupur SDM Prosenjit Ghosh said: “Two months ago, Tata’s top management officials conducted a detailed inspection of the plant.” An official from the Bishnupur unit said a plan for commercial production was prepared after the inspection.