Gujarat may host Nisshin steel plant

AHMEDABAD: Nisshin Steel, Japan’s leading steel manufacturer, has set its eyes on Gujarat. The company is considering a proposal to set up a large steel plant in the state.

Earlier this week, a team from Nisshin Steel visited Gujarat to explore possibilities of making investments in the state. The company has communicated to the Gujarat government that it wants to set up a steel plant in the state, say government sources. The company has told the state government it wants around 100 hectares near a port, from where it can import coal and iron ore.

Though the exact investment figures are not known, sources say the company is looking at huge investments in a phased manner. The company representatives have visited a few sites in Gujarat and are said to be interested in Kutch as well as some parts of South Gujarat such as Dahej.

“A three-member delegation comprising company’s top executives visited Dahej and the adjoining area to scout for a suitable location. They have not decided on anything,” said a government official. The official added Dahej was logistically suitable for the company to import coal and iron ore.

Nisshin Steel, which was incorporated in 1959, is primarily into manufacturing steel products including coated steel, such as galvanised,

aluminised and copper-plated steel sheet and strip and their principal users are automative, household,
industrial electrical appliance and construction industries.

The state government is aggressively hard-selling Gujarat as a business hotspot to several countries including Japan, which already has a fair presence in the state. As many as five projects with technical collaboration from Japan are under implementation in the state, of which six have already been commissioned. Additionally, there are 21 projects in Gujarat, wherein foreign direct investment has come from Japan, of which 18 have been commissioned and two are under implementation.

Two months back, top Japanese auto companies including Nissan, Mitsubishi and Suzuki had visited Gujarat to explore locations to set up a car terminal, that will enable an export of four lakh cars a year. They had visited Maroli in south Gujarat and later the Adanis’ Mundra port.