Rapidly emerging as the most aggressive and rapacious of Indian minerals companies, the Jindal Group

Rapidly emerging as the most aggressive and rapacious of Indian minerals companies, the Jindal Group is not only stampeding ahead with plans for bauxite mining, and an alumina refinery /smelter in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The company is also accused of numerous violations in its manoeuvres to construct a coal-fired power plant in Chhattisgarh.

Last week, Jindal's aluminium plans in Andhra came under renewed attack, with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) threatening to "lay siege" to the local administration. In July national organisations offered vociferous support to the Indigenous Girijan community, which claims that its rights and livelihoods would be jeoparidsed by mining of the eastern ghats (hills) near Andhra's second biggest city, Vizag.

BHPBilliton has also put forward a proposal to construct a refinery, drawing on a vast amount (300 million tonnes) of bauxite reserves in the same Indigenous area.

This despite the fact that - in neighbouring Orissa - the world's most profitable minerals company is now holding out a saffron-coloured carrot to NGOS that consent to join its party.