Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Adani group is planning to set up a titanium plant in Srikakulam district with an investment of Rs 16,000 crore.
A delegation led by Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited, met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and briefed him on the proposal.
During the meeting at the Secretariat here on August 12, the delegation briefed the Chief Minister on beach sand mining, the products that can be manufactured from these minerals, their applications across various sectors and market demand, said an official release.
The group representatives explained that ilmenite available in beach sand can be value-added to produce titanium slag, titanium dioxide (TiO) and titanium sponge. They said TiO has applications in paints, coatings, cosmetics, plastics and polymers, UV-protection products and several other industries.
The Chief Minister called for value addition to beach sand minerals available in Andhra Pradesh. He emphasised the need to prioritise the manufacture of valueadded products within the State to reduce dependence on other countries for rare earth minerals and called for adoption of advanced technologies in this sector.
Naidu stressed the importance of manufacturing value-added products within the State to maximise the economic benefits from the state’s mineral resources.
He said beach sand minerals should not be viewed merely as resources to be extracted as raw minerals, but as the foundation for developing an integrated value chain that delivers maximum benefit to both the State and the country.
Rare earth minerals The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh should move towards self-reliance in rare earth minerals.
Naidu directed oႈcials to focus on identifying the resources available in the State, the technologies required for their development and suitable technology partners in the rare earth minerals sector. The Adani Group representatives also informed the Chief Minister that steps would be taken to establish skill development facilities, Adani University, an international school, a 1,000-bed hospital under the name Adani Aarogya Mandir, and a 150-seat medical college in Visakhapatnam.
