KIOCL-NMDC Merger Considered: Steel Minister

New Delhi, Jan 17 (PTI) The government is considering merging pellet maker KIOCL with iron ore major NMDC.

Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy said that KIOCL is in critical condition.

"The process is on to consider merging KIOCL and NMDC. KIOCL has also reported losses," he said on the sidelines of a press meet here to announce a revival package of Rs 11,440 crore for Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL).

The minister said the situation has occurred due to non-cooperation of the state (Karnataka) government.

KIOCL Ltd, under the Ministry of Steel, operates a 3.5 million tonne per annum (MTPA) iron-oxide pellet plant and a blast furnace unit to manufacture 2.16 lakh tonne per annum pig iron at Mangaluru, Karnataka.

NMDC is also an entity operating under the Steel Ministry. It caters to India's 20 per cent of iron ore demand.