Ashok Gehlot-led Rajasthan aims to become an industrial powerhouse by harnessing its mineral resources

The Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan, which effectively dealt with the Covid pandemic, is now trying to become an industrial powerhouse

The state government has been making advances in the sector with its policy and direct interventions. It is trying to woo investors by promoting the state as a land of immense business and investment opportunities, particularly in the mineral sector.

Chief Minister Gehlot is considerate towards the facilitation of all big and small businesses.

The government is open to suggestions from investors and improves upon its policies and schemes wherever required.

Industries Secretary Ashutosh AT Pendekar said the approach is towards establishing the state as an industrial powerhouse. He said that while new industry-specific policies and investment zones are being constituted in the state to leverage the local advantages, a broader approach for horizontal industrialisation is also being adopted in the state. This horizontal industrialisation shall be achieved through rapidly increasing the number of industrial areas; 100 of these are planned to be launched in this financial year.

The claims of the Rajasthan government officials were testified upon by representatives of MNCs like JCB and Saint Gobain recently in a meeting. These companies have been in Rajasthan for a long duration and have been expanding their operations in the state. Chairman of CII Rajasthan state council Sanjay Saboo appreciated the state government efforts such as the introduction of One Stop Shop, MSME Facilitation act, and other policies that have made Rajasthan one of the best investment destination.

Digvijay Dhabriya, Chairman, PHDCCI-Rajasthan Chapter said that the availability of huge minerals resources and the tremendous contribution of the mining sector would in the coming years help in the economic development of the state. With the various initiatives and recent amendments in the manning development rules by the Government of India and the state government, the mining sector is poised for exponential growth and development and offers immense investment opportunities.

The mining sector's contribution to the state’s GDP is over 4.4% and it is providing huge employment opportunities throughout the state. Rajasthan is the leading mineral-producing state in India. It contributes over 17% of the country’s total value of mineral productions which is the highest in the country. More than 57 varieties of minerals are exploited by Rajasthan, significantly contributing to many industrial sectors of the country.

The state government is working on increasing the mining of steel grade limestone and also the exploitation of huge reserves of iron ore for reducing imports by contributing to Atma Nirbharta Mission.

Akshaydeep Mathur, General Secretary, Federation of Mining Associations of Rajasthan, informed that in India, the present per capita consumption of minerals is five tonnes per person. To take it to the level of developing countries, which is 10 tons per person, the demand of minerals in the country would be around 6 billion MT as against total productions of 2 billion tons at present. This indicated tremendous opportunities for the mining sector and Rajasthan can play a very important role. To encash these opportunities there is a strong felt need for progressive policies, investor-friendly regulatory framework, and infusion for state of art cutting-edge technologies and best mining practices.

Pradeep Kumar Agrawal, additional director, Geology, Department of Mines & Geology, Government of Rajasthan informed that Mining Department proactively working for allotment of limestone blocks and up till now 11 blocks have already been auctioned and process for four is underway. By the end of this financial year, under the composite license scheme, Rajasthan would be able to allot around 50 blocks. Rajasthan has huge reserves of Potash also and efforts are being made to increase its gainful exploitation.

Rajasthan is the raw material base for the thriving ceramic industry and the state has organized an investor’s summit in Ahmedabad to woo investors. Gujarat is a leading state for the ceramic industry and the state is trying to woo investors from Gujarat for setting up a manufacturing base in Rajasthan.

Industries Commissioner Archana Singh said the effort is to attract investors from Gujarat for setting up ceramic industry in the state and the state is offering various infrastructure facilities to the investors.

Archana Singh said that the state has already launched a cluster for the ceramic industry and it would look beyond Gujarat and hold roadshows in Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai to woo investors in the ceramic sector.

After uranium’s discovery in the Sikar district of the state, the Uranium Corporation of India plans to start mining of uranium from the year 2023 in the Royaal mines with an investment of Rs 3000 crore that would provide employment to 3000 labourers. Currently, a one-kilometer-long tunnel is being dug in Royaal mines to excavate uranium. According to mineral exploration experts, the villages of Jahaaj, Nrisinghpuri and a few villages of Neem Ka Thana have rich deposits of uranium.

A uranium fuel plat is being planned by the Uranium Corporation of India in Rajasthan Atomic Power Project at Rawatbhata and the fuel mined from Royaal mines would be used for manufacturing uranium fuel. It is likely that in a decade, the country would be able to fulfil all its need for uranium fuel from its various mine sources in the country.