By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, March 11, 2026: Jindal Steel has bagged the Thakurani A1 iron ore block in Keonjhar district by committing a premium of 101.20%. The latest acquisition will boost the company’s iron ore supply to its Angul plant being expanded. The mine holds over 50 million tonnes of iron ore.

Jindal Steel & Power (now officially Jindal Steel Limited as of July 2025) is a leading Indian conglomerate with a $12+ billion investment, specializing in steel, mining, and power. It is India’s third-largest private steel producer, operating major integrated plants in Angul, Raigarh, and Patratu.

The Thakurani A1 mine was part of a recent auction round for 12 mineral blocks notified by the Directorate of Mines and Geology in December 2025. Jindal Steel, one of India’s largest steelmakers, currently operates iron ore mines at Tensa, Kasia and Roida-1, with a combined production capacity of 10.61 mt. Reserves at the Tensa mine are expected to be exhausted over the next three to four years.

The steelmaker won the block by committing a premium of 101.20% to the government. Bidding for the mine, conducted online on Tuesday, started at a premium of 101.05%.

The block has reserves of more than 50 million tonnes (mt) of iron ore, and Jindal Steel is likely to be allowed to mine 1.5-2 mt a year, the sources said. The company will have up to three years to develop the mine and start operations.

After the government formally notifies the company in the coming days, several procedural steps, including regulatory clearances, will need to be completed over the following weeks.

The company also operates pellet plants at Barbil and Angul with a combined capacity of 15 mt a year. Iron ore from the Thakurani A1 block is likely to be used either for pellet production or directly in the blast furnaces at the Angul plant, the sources said.

Jindal Steel recently commissioned additional capacity at its Angul plant and plans to ramp up output, taking steel production capacity at the site to 12 mt over the next year from 9 mt currently.