JSW Steel is ramping up efforts to enhance its in-house raw material availability through a mix of domestic expansion and strategic offshore acquisitions, Joint Managing Director and CEO Jayant Acharya has said.
"We continue to strengthen that piece through a well-diversified portfolio of iron ore and coking coal assets," Acharya said during an investor call.
Iron ore and coking coal are the two key raw materials used for manufacturing steel through the blast furnace route. While iron ore is available in abundance in the country, Indian steel makers remain heavily dependent on imports of coking coal.
He highlighted that the company recently increased its stake in Australia’s Illawarra coking coal asset from 20 per cent to 30 per cent, ensuring a steady offtake of high-quality coking coal.
Additionally, JSW Steel is in the process of acquiring the Minas de Revuboe Project in Mozambique, a move aimed at securing access to premium low-volatile (PLV) high-grade coking coal.
"We expect this acquisition to close in the current financial year," Acharya added.
Domestically, the steelmaker is focused on expanding its iron ore capacity. At present, JSW Steel operates 12 iron ore mines, nine in Karnataka and three in Odisha.
Acharya said three new iron ore mines in Karnataka are expected to commence production in the first quarter of FY27, collectively yielding around 4 million tonnes annually.
In Goa, where JSW Steel has secured three mining blocks, operations are scheduled to begin at the Cudnem site in the third quarter of FY26, while mining at the Surla and Codli sites is expected to start in the second half of FY27. Together, the Goa mines are expected to contribute approximately 3.7 million tonnes of iron ore.
"We also have two exploration blocks each in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, which will come online in subsequent years," Acharya noted.
On the coking coal front, JSW Steel has secured three mines in Jharkhand, along with linkages from Coal India. These assets are expected to become operational progressively over the next two to three years, contributing between 3.2 and 3.5 million tonnes of usable coking coal.
With these developments, JSW Steel aims to strengthen its raw material self-sufficiency and reduce dependence on external sources, Acharya said.
