North-West Frontier--Indian companies seeking to secure Afghan iron-ore

摘要

India's largest steel company, the State-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (Sail), in order to strengthen its chances of securing iron-ore deposits in Afghanistan, is offering to invest some $3,l-billion in constructing a steel plant in the south-west Asian country. "We would like to take [the steel project] forward, provided the [Afghan] government allocates iron-ore mines on a nomination basis to us - be it at Hajigak or even elsewhere," Sail chairperson CS Verma told The Economic Times of India last week. "Apart from iron-ore, we would also require coking coal and land. Above all, we need to safeguard the security of our staff in that country."