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What is the story about?
In February 2025, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly said his proposed ₹2,500 crore steel plant in West Bengal would become operational within 18 to 20 months.
Nearly 17 months later, the project is approaching that timeline, but operations have yet to begin, and there has been no major public announcement on when the plant will start production.
The greenfield steel project, planned at Garbeta in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district, is being developed in partnership with TMT bar manufacturer Captain Steel. It is expected to have an annual production capacity of 0.8 million tonnes, or 8 lakh tonnes.
"We're building the steel plant. But the problem is that everybody expects it to be ready in two months. But that doesn't happen realistically. Hopefully, we're looking at operations in the next 18-20 months," Ganguly had reportedly said at the time.
At the time, Ganguly said the project required several clearances, including environmental, pollution and government approvals. PTI had also reported that the proposed plant required around 350 acres of land and the acquisition process was ongoing.
Who is Sourav Ganguly's partner in the steel project?
Ganguly has partnered with Captain Steel, a manufacturer of TMT bars, for the ₹2,500 crore project.
Captain Steel already operates two steel plants with a combined annual capacity of 5 lakh tonnes. The Garbeta plant, once operational, was expected to increase the company's total production capacity to 1.3 million tonnes annually.
Officials had earlier told PTI that Ganguly's stake in the project would be "substantial", though details of his holding were not disclosed.
Ganguly has said the Garbeta facility will be his third and biggest steel plant venture.
When was the project first announced?
Ganguly first announced plans for a steel plant in West Bengal in September 2023 during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Spain.
The project was initially proposed at Salboni in the Paschim Medinipur district. However, the Salboni plan did not materialise, and the project was later shifted to Garbeta, around 26 km away.
In February 2025, a senior official from the joint venture partner told PTI that the project would involve an estimated investment of ₹2,500 crore and have a capacity of 0.8 MTPA.
Ganguly's interest in the steel business goes back to 2007.
The Garbeta project is not Ganguly's first venture in the steel sector.
In 2023, the former India captain said he had been investing in the steel business with a friend since 2007. He said their first plant was in Asansol and the second in Patna, with his business partner largely handling operations while Ganguly was still playing cricket.
The Garbeta project is planned as their third and largest steel plant.
Beyond steel, Ganguly has also invested in startups. In 2023, he acquired a minority stake in an inter-city food delivery startup, JustMyRoots. His other publicly reported startup investments include edtech platform Classplus and digital entertainment company Flickstree.
Read more: Five charts explain how India-Australia trade has changed since PM Modi's last visit
Nearly 17 months later, the project is approaching that timeline, but operations have yet to begin, and there has been no major public announcement on when the plant will start production.
The greenfield steel project, planned at Garbeta in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district, is being developed in partnership with TMT bar manufacturer Captain Steel. It is expected to have an annual production capacity of 0.8 million tonnes, or 8 lakh tonnes.
"We're building the steel plant. But the problem is that everybody expects it to be ready in two months. But that doesn't happen realistically. Hopefully, we're looking at operations in the next 18-20 months," Ganguly had reportedly said at the time.
At the time, Ganguly said the project required several clearances, including environmental, pollution and government approvals. PTI had also reported that the proposed plant required around 350 acres of land and the acquisition process was ongoing.
Who is Sourav Ganguly's partner in the steel project?
Ganguly has partnered with Captain Steel, a manufacturer of TMT bars, for the ₹2,500 crore project.
Captain Steel already operates two steel plants with a combined annual capacity of 5 lakh tonnes. The Garbeta plant, once operational, was expected to increase the company's total production capacity to 1.3 million tonnes annually.
Officials had earlier told PTI that Ganguly's stake in the project would be "substantial", though details of his holding were not disclosed.
Ganguly has said the Garbeta facility will be his third and biggest steel plant venture.
When was the project first announced?
Ganguly first announced plans for a steel plant in West Bengal in September 2023 during Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to Spain.
The project was initially proposed at Salboni in the Paschim Medinipur district. However, the Salboni plan did not materialise, and the project was later shifted to Garbeta, around 26 km away.
In February 2025, a senior official from the joint venture partner told PTI that the project would involve an estimated investment of ₹2,500 crore and have a capacity of 0.8 MTPA.
Ganguly's interest in the steel business goes back to 2007.
The Garbeta project is not Ganguly's first venture in the steel sector.
In 2023, the former India captain said he had been investing in the steel business with a friend since 2007. He said their first plant was in Asansol and the second in Patna, with his business partner largely handling operations while Ganguly was still playing cricket.
The Garbeta project is planned as their third and largest steel plant.
Beyond steel, Ganguly has also invested in startups. In 2023, he acquired a minority stake in an inter-city food delivery startup, JustMyRoots. His other publicly reported startup investments include edtech platform Classplus and digital entertainment company Flickstree.
Read more: Five charts explain how India-Australia trade has changed since PM Modi's last visit
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