Fragility in the Mine-to-Concentrate Chain

Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I have 19 years of experience in operational excellence and project management in the steel industry. I served for over 18 years at JSW Steel Ltd., and am presently the Chief Technical Officer at BKG Mining Pvt Ltd. My special focus is on raw material handling systems and agglomeration units (Beneficiation and sintering).
Expert in strategy-making for industrial continuous growth and sustainability; adapted industrial safety standards and practices as a culture throughout my professional journey.

Q2. What structural shift in ore quality or steel demand is most changing how beneficiation plants plan throughput and grade today, and why now?

The most critical scenario today is the difference between the Green Steel mandate and the availability of high-grade iron ore.
For the steel industry, reducing carbon emissions in steel processing is the biggest challenge. So the steel industry is focusing on low-carbon Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production, and the high-grade ore required for this process is becoming scarce. This "Iron Ore Paradox" is forcing beneficiation plants to change their operating philosophy, i.e., from maximizing volume to precision impurity removal.