ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
Konkola Copper Mines
Africa. 11 It mines anthracite coal in South Africa and in Mozambique, and is one of only three companies with mining rights in the coal-rich Moatize region. The company is also involved in coal, copper, and iron ore exploration in Tanzania, where it also has a license to mine copper.
Smaller Indian companies are also operating in Africa. For example, Dharni Sampda, primarily involved in Manganese ore trading, mines in Côte d’ Ivoire and has exploration permits for metal and bauxite in the country. 12 Furthermore, it has secured exploration permits for tantalite in Sierra Leone and uranium in Nigeria.
In addition to India’ s private-sector activities and interest in mining opportunities in Africa, in recent years, the country’ s state-owned firms have begun to emulate independent companies’ forays into Africa. For example, in 2011, Coal India Limited( CIL) requested five coal exploration blocks from Mozambique in addition to the two already granted. 13 It was reported that if the two blocks proved to be viable, the company intended to invest $ 400 million and employ 3,000 locals. 14 Recently, in September 2017, CIL identified copper and nickel mines in Africa for its first overseas venture into noncoal minerals.
In 2010, India’ s National Mineral Development Corporation( MNDC) signed a 50:50 joint venture agreement with South Africa’ s Kopanoke Matla Investments to
enter into the country’ s coal and iron-ore mining sectors. 15 In 2011, an Indian cohort made up of private and state companies- International Coal Ventures, the Steel Authority of India, CIL, National Thermal Power Corporation( NTPC), NMDC and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam- bid for the Talbot Group’ s( an Australian company) 59 percent stake in the $ 1 billion Minas de Revuboè coal project in Mozambique. However, Anglo American became the preferred bidder, willing to pay more than half a billion dollars. 16 Recently, in September 2017, it was reported that three Indian governmentcontrolled firms, the National Aluminum Company( NALCO) together with the Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited( MECL) and Hindustan Copper Limited( HCL) would begin searching for strategic mineral assets in Africa in a joint venture. 17 The identified strategic minerals include, but are not limited to, tin, tungsten, titanium, gallium, lithium, tantalum, cobalt, niobium, selenium and indium.
While India looks to Africa as a partner in securing energy and industrial resources, it simultaneously seeks to contribute to the continent’ s development and industrialisation – fostering a genuine and mutually beneficial relationship. India has a lot to offer Africa. Its fast-growing economy can provide investment funds, especially with regard to the construction of mining-related infrastructure. In addition, India is bursting
40 • Africa Day Special • 2018