Recently, India's Odisha Mineral Exploration Corporation Limited (OMECL), one of the government-based mining company in India, obtained the right of Sukinda chromite exploration as an independent legal entity, including the 406-hectare Sukinda chromite mining lease owned by Tata Steel.

OMECL launched a tender after obtaining operating rights. The deadline for online bidding is 4 o-clock pm on January 14th, 2020.

Market participants believed that India ’s chromium ore supply might face serious shortages in the near future.

First, the market generally believed that OMECL's chromium ore production technology was inferior to Tata. If the supply of chromium ore was insufficient, India might need to import chromium ore. Secondly, OMECL must stabilize production by the end of 2020 at the earliest.

Before that, the chromium market in India might face supply uncertainty.