VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has called for value addition to beach sand minerals available in Andhra Pradesh.
He stressed the need to prioritise the manufacture of value-added products within the state to reduce dependence on other countries for rare earth minerals and called for adoption of advanced technologies in this sector.
A delegation led by Karan Adani, Managing Director of Adani Ports and SEZ Limited, met Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
The delegation briefed the Chief Minister on the proposed titanium plant to be established by the Adani Group in Srikakulam district with an investment of Rs 16,000 crore, as well as beach sand mining, the products that can be manufactured from these minerals, their applications across various sectors and market demand.
The Adani 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.
Chief Minister Chandrababu 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.
The Chief Minister said Andhra Pradesh should move towards self-reliance in rare earth minerals. Mining and development of rare earth minerals should contribute to nation-building, he stated.