Fadnavis: Vidarbha to become mining and green steel hub
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis says Vidarbha can drive India's economic growth through mining and green steel, at a national mining engineers' conference in Nagpur
The 36th National Convention of Mining Engineers began at Hotel Radisson Blu in Nagpur, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said at the inauguration that Vidarbha can become a major engine of India's economic growth through mining. He said Vidarbha could play a key role in the vision of "Viksit Bharat @2047". He added that a new ecosystem for mining is being built in Gadchiroli, and that the country's first clean green steel revolution is happening there.
The convention and a national seminar on "Mining for Viksit Bharat @2047" were organised by the Nagpur Local Centre of The Institution of Engineers (India). On the occasion, the Chief Minister also inaugurated an exhibition on new research in the mining sector. The programme was chaired by Institution of Engineers (India) president Manish Kothari. Also present were Minister of State for Mining Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, WCL chairman Dr. Hemant Sharad Pande, Dr. Suresh Chandra Suman, organising committee head Sandeep Shirkhedkar, Anupam Kher and Jayant Joshi.
Referring to Gadchiroli's iron ore reserves, Fadnavis said an investment of around Rs 5 lakh crore and a steelmaking capacity of nearly 50 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) is being developed there. He also said four of the first eight coal gasification projects proposed under a new national mission would come up in Vidarbha. He said a new industrial ecosystem could also develop in Chandrapur, Bhandara, Nagpur, Gondia and Yavatmal districts along with Gadchiroli, and that green steel, clean technology and better logistics connectivity would create large-scale employment and economic opportunities in the region.
Organising committee chairman Dr. Sandeep Shirkhedkar, in his introductory address, highlighted the serious challenges facing the mining sector. He said wide-ranging discussion was needed on issues such as critical minerals, new technology and mine closure processes. He also said there was a need for a capable ecosystem for the extraction and use of critical minerals, along with skill development centres, arbitration facilities and testing centres.
The Institution of Engineers (India) has a network of more than 4,000 mining engineers across the country, of whom around 300 are from Nagpur. Shirkhedkar assured the Maharashtra government and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) of the institution's support for mining development initiatives. Convention convenor Dr. Anupam Kher said "Mining for Viksit Bharat @2047" was not just the theme of the convention but a national inspiration. He said it was necessary to meet the growing demand for coal, iron ore and limestone while also meeting the rising need for critical minerals such as lithium and graphite, and to balance technology, sustainability and safety.
Around 300 delegates from across the country attended the convention, and 40 technical research papers will be presented. Separate sessions will be held on advanced blasting technology, slope monitoring, digitisation, use of AI, intelligent mining, mine closure processes, circular economy, energy efficiency and critical minerals.
Mining Division Board chairman Sureshchandra Suman said minerals are a basic requirement for modern industry, infrastructure and India's growth. He said AI, automation, drones, sensors and real-time mine monitoring could make mining more efficient, safe and sustainable. He said the safety of mine workers was more important than any production target.
WCL chairman and managing director Dr. Hemant Sharad Pande said the convention was organised with the aim of making Nagpur the country's "mining capital". He said WCL has discovered 18 critical minerals and rare earth elements across 12 mines, and that the company is expanding its work beyond coal into the extraction and refining of critical minerals. He said there was a need to make Vidarbha not just a mineral-rich region but a value-added, higher-earning resource hub. The proposed coal gasification hub at Majri, and initiatives linked to Make in India, PLI, Startup India and Skill India, were also mentioned.
Institution of Engineers (India) president Manish Kothari congratulated all members and spoke of the importance of staying connected with the institution. The programme was anchored by Aasawari Galande, and a message from Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy was also read out.
The "Eminent Engineer" award was given to Dr. Hemant Pande (WCL) and Franklin Jaikumar (SECL), and was accepted on their behalf by WCL GM and PRO Satish Gable. Sripad Naik (NIRM) was also felicitated, as was Dr. I.M. Mutreja for his contribution to education and mining engineering. The "Young Engineers Awards 2026" went to Dr. Debashish Mishra of CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad; Dr. Ashish Kumar Vishwakarma, Assistant Professor at NIT Raipur; and Dr. Ali Murtaza Sheikh, Manager (Mining) at Eastern Coalfields Limited, West Bengal. The two-day convention will see well-known engineers, experts and researchers from across the country present their papers.
