28 JUN, 2012, PTI
NEW DELHI: Sterlite Industries, Jindal Steel and Power and Monnet Ispat and Energy have evinced interest in joining hands with four PSUs, including Hindustan Copper (HCL), to form a special purpose vehicle to bid for gold and copper mines in Afghanistan.
"Three parties are exploring opportunities to participate with us so that one bid from India as a country is placed. We have not yet taken a final decision (on their inclusion). We will be taking it shortly," HCL Chairman and Managing Director Shakeel Ahmed told reporters at the Delhi Investment Summit on Afghanistan.
The three companies -- Sterlite Industries, Jindal Steel and Power and Monnet Ispat and Energy -- would possibly form a joint venture, if included, with four state-run firms -- HCL, Nalco, MECL and SAIL, he said.
The Afghanistan government has invited bids from interested parties for developing four copper and gold mines, spread across the war-torn country. Its Mines Minister Wahidullah Shahrani, while speaking at the function earlier in the day, said a total of 40 companies including the world's majors have evinced interests for developing these mines.
The unique public and private sector joint venture model for securing raw material assets abroad has already tasted success and more recently in Afghanistan itself with a seven- member public-private sector consortium, led by SAIL, bagging mining rights in three Hajigak iron ore mines.
The consortium has plans to invest over $ 10 billion for a steel plant, a power plant and developing other infrastructure.
It has already went past the first hurdle by being shortlisted and now would place the financial bid, which would be submitted shortly.
Ahmed said there are separate dates for submitting bids for different deposits. However, for the first one, final bid is to be submitted by the middle of next month.
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