Bhubaneswar: The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) convened the India Mines & Minerals Conclave 2026 on the theme “Shaping Transformation Through Policy Reforms, Sustainability & Strategic Security”, here on Friday.
Addressing the conclave as Chief Guest, Mr. Arun Kumar, Regional Controller of Mines, Indian Bureau of Mines said, “Govemment priorities today lie at the intersection of economic growth, environmental sustainability and strategic security of critica minerals”. Kumar emphasised that as the world rapidly transitions towards green energy, minerals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel are becoming strategically vital for nations. India is therefore strengthening domestic exploration, securing supply chains and encouraging value addition within the country.
Highlighting future demand, he said achieving the steel production targets under the 2030 mission would require 400-450 million tonnes of iron ore, making it necessary to accelerate mine auctions and operationalisation of mineral blocks.
Prabodh Mohanty, Co-Chairman, ASSOCHAM Odisha State Development Council and Chairman of SNM Group, said, “Odisha remains one of the country’s most significant mining and mineral hubs. He noted that the state has generated nearly ₹1.5 lakh crore in mining revenue over the past decade, contributing substantially to India’s economic development. Odisha today accounts for around 25 percent of India’s steel production, reinforcing its position as the steel capital of India.”
Mohanty also highlighted the state government’s focus on strengthening logistics and connectivity while accelerating exploration and auctioning of critical minerals. These minerals are essential for emerging sectors such as electric vehicles, semiconductors, defence and aerospace. Odisha, he said, has the potential to play a key role in mineral s like lithium and cobalt, helping India reduce import dependence.
Prasanna Kumar Panda, Member of the ASSOCHAM Odisha State Development Council on Mines and Minerals and Business Head (Odisha Business) at JSW Steel, highlighted various aspects of the National Critical Mineral Mission. Many critical minerals are found in coastal states like Odisha and Andhra PradeshMr. Panda also noted that the government has eased certain regulatory requirements, including exemptions from public hearing in specific cases, to promote exploration and development of critical minerals. He added that policy reforms for minerals such as nickel and copper are aimed at making the sector more accessible for private investment and accelerating domestic production, including lithium, to enhance India’s self-reliance.
Manish Singla, Head – Mineral Auction, Strategy, Mergers and Acquisitions at Jindal Steel & Power (JSP), said that while steel production and consumption are growing steadily, the supply of iron ore – the key raw material for steelmaking – remains inadequate. Despite having abundant reserves, India imported 10-12 million tonnes of iron ore last year, he noted.
Singla highlighted that Odisha aims to increase its steel production capacity to 100 million tonnes per annum by 2030, from the current 42-45 million tonnes. Achieving this target will require a proportional increase in iron ore production and supply.
During the conclave, ASSOCHAM also released a Knowledge Report on the mining and minerals sector.
The conclave featured three panel discussions.
The Panel on Policy, Reforms & Ease of Doing Business in Indian Mining, moderated by Bidyut Chakraborty of KPMG, included Arun Kumar, Manoj Verma Head of Mines at Shiva Cement Ltd and Manish Singla.
The Panel on Critical Minerals & India’s Strategic Resource Security, moderated by Sumit Jhunjhunwala, Vice President and Sector Head – Mines & Minerals at ICRA Limited, had panelists Nitin Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of Attero Recycling, Sabyasachi Mohanty, former Director (Operations) at Odisha Mining Corporation, and Kali Sanjay, Chief Scientist at CSIR-IMMT.
The Panel on Technology, Safety & Sustainable Mining, moderated by Pranab Kumar, Technical Director at KPMG, included Ashit Kumar Swain, Director (Geology) at Geological Survey of India, R Bhima Rao, Former Chief Scientist at CSIR-IMMT and Director of Aryan Institute of Engineering & Technology, Bhubaneswar and Priyadarshi, Vice President at Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd.
