Visakhapatnam: Buoyed by a larger-than-anticipated response, the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited — the corporate entity of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant — extended till April 20 the deadline for filing an expression of interest (EOI) to fund the company in exchange for steel.
“The response has been huge with inquiries coming from abroad. As we are expecting some more companies to apply, a decision has been taken by the management to extend the last day another five days,’’ a senior RINL official said.
So far, eight foreign companies — Europa Import and Export Ltd, Indo Inter trade, Indo international, I M R Metallurgy, Tata International Ltd, Russia-based Ms Xiamen and Ukraine-based Vabam Novinky Alexntra — have filed their EOIs.
Indian companies to have filed EOIs include JSW, JSPL, Agrawal Pvt Ltd, LK Sri Enterprise, Auon Steels Industries Pvt Ltd, Suraj Mill Yadhanadha, Tuf group, Agora Partners, Global Soft Pvt Ltd, Vensera Impex, HS Port Pvt Ltd, Sanjay Sinha, Sandeep Saleem, Elegant Metals and Minerals, and Roopag Import and Export.
Telangana public sector unit Singareni Collieries Company Ltd, however, is yet to express interest.
Varasala Srinivasa Rao, senior trade union leader and member of All India Steel Consumer Council, requested the RINL management to allow SAIL and NMDC to file EOIs to ensure the company would remain in the public sector.
