Bhubaneswar: India, endowed with 90 major and minor minerals, is set to increase its GDP from $2.67 trillion to $5 trillion over the next 5 years, Tapan Kumar Chand, Nalco CMD, has said. He was addressing a Sustainable Mining Summit held in the city Thursday.
“The mining sector should also gear up to enhance its contribution towards the economic growth of the country. New technologies such as 3-D painting, 3-D mapping, simulation modelling, and use of drones, along with innovation and sustainable approaches towards mining, will increase the contribution of the sector towards the national economy from 2.5 per cent at present to 5 per cent of GDP in the next 10 years,” he said.
Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) organized the summit in association with SMI India and PTPL.
Chand highlighted the need to approach mining with sustainable development in mind. “Focus should be on optimal mining, along with implementation of concepts such as Net Zero Mining, Scientific Mining and People’s Engagement,” Chand said. He stressed upon the inclusion of representatives from industries and the mining sector in the utilization of the District Mineral Fund, which would further development of mining areas.
Sanjeev Chopra, the Principal Secretary of Industries department, attended the summit as chief guest and urged the industries to act as good corporate citizens. He called for collaboration between the central and state governments and mining industries to achieve sustainable mining.
—pnn
