NE AGRICULTURE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEPT 1
What if a material that has traditionally been treated as a mining-sector liability could, after rigorous scientific validation, emerge as a resource for agriculture? That is the ambitious question behind a new research partnership between ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) and the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) to investigate the sustainable use of iron ore tailings (IOTs) in agriculture.
#AMNSIndia has signed an MoU with ICAR–IARI to conduct advanced study on the sustainable use of Iron Ore Tailings (IOTs) in agriculture. The collaboration will evaluate crop response, nutrient availability & environmental impact to explore agricultural applications for IOTs. pic.twitter.com/vk6qZxoqQ5
— ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (@AMNSIndia) September 1, 2026
The two institutions have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to undertake long-term scientific studies aimed at determining whether iron ore tailings generated during iron-ore beneficiation can be safely and beneficially utilised in crop production and soil management.
- Pathbreaking research partnership seeks to convert a mining by-product into a scientifically validated agricultural input
- Multi-season studies to test crop response, nutrient availability, phytotoxicity, leaching and environmental safety
- Preliminary trials show promise in paddy, wheat and vegetables, opening a new frontier in waste valorisation
- Research to explore iron ore tailings as a potential source of minerals and micronutrients while addressing soil-health challenges
- Kirandul in Chhattisgarh and ICAR-IARI, New Delhi to become twin research locations for long-term field validation
- Project aligns industry innovation with circular economy, resource conservation, reduced waste storage and sustainable agriculture
The initiative could open an important new chapter in India’s circular-economy journey—moving from “waste disposal” to “resource recovery”, provided the research establishes the required agronomic and environmental safeguards.
The MoU was signed and exchanged in New Delhi by Dr. Vishwanathan N., Head–Research & Development, AM/NS India, and Dr. C. Viswanathan, Joint Director (Research), ICAR-IARI, in the presence of Dr. Bhupinder Singh, Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator, ICAR-IARI, and senior officials from both institutions.
From tailings to potential farm input—science to decide
The collaboration builds on preliminary studies initiated by AM/NS India and ICAR-IARI in 2024 to examine the agricultural potential of iron ore tailings.
The research found that the material contains naturally occurring minerals and elements, including silica, iron oxides, alumina, calcium and magnesium, along with other micro and beneficial nutrients.
Initial laboratory and field studies conducted at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, and near AM/NS India’s beneficiation facility at Kirandul, Chhattisgarh, produced encouraging indications regarding the potential use of iron ore tailings in agriculture.
The studies covered crops including paddy, wheat and vegetables, pointing towards the possibility of using suitably processed and scientifically evaluated tailings as a source of mineral nutrients.
But the new phase of research is designed to go much further.
No shortcuts: Multi-season tests to establish safety
The MoU provides for long-term, multi-season scientific investigations at ICAR-IARI in New Delhi and at AM/NS India’s Kirandul facility.
Researchers will assess a range of critical parameters, including:
- Crop response and agronomic performance
- Nutrient availability and dynamics
- Phytotoxicity
- Leaching characteristics
- Environmental impact
- Soil-health implications
- Safety and beneficial utilisation of the material
This rigorous approach is crucial because agricultural application of any industrial by-product requires evidence not merely of crop benefits but also of long-term environmental and food-safety implications.
The ultimate objective is to generate robust scientific evidence that can establish whether iron ore tailings can be utilised safely and beneficially, potentially reducing the need for their long-term storage.
“Sustainability and innovation go hand in hand”
Hiroo Ishibashi, Director & Vice President–Technology, AM/NS India, said:
“At AM/NS India, sustainability and innovation go hand in hand. This collaboration with ICAR-IARI represents a pioneering effort to unlock the potential of iron ore tailings through science-led research.”
He said that if successful, the initiative could create a “win-win outcome” by reducing the environmental footprint associated with by-product storage while supporting sustainable agriculture and resource conservation.
“It reflects our commitment to advancing circular economy solutions that benefit both industry and society,” Ishibashi said.
The industry perspective is significant: converting a mining by-product into a useful resource could simultaneously address waste management, resource efficiency and agricultural sustainability.
“Waste valorisation is an important area of research”
For ICAR-IARI, the research represents an opportunity to apply agricultural science to a major resource-management challenge.
Dr. Bhupinder Singh, Principal Scientist and Principal Investigator of the project, said:
“The scientific evaluation of industrial by-products for their nutritional profile is a pre-requisite to develop their beneficial applications.”
Calling waste valorisation an important area of research for sustainable agriculture and the environment, he said the preliminary studies had produced encouraging indications about the potential use of iron ore tailings in agricultural systems.
The long-term programme, he said, would generate comprehensive scientific data on agronomic performance, environmental safety and nutrient dynamics.
Most significantly, the research will examine the potential of the material for “quenching the Fe deficiency of poor degraded soils” and improving the iron concentration of farm produce as part of efforts towards biofortification.
That could give the project an additional agricultural dimension: beyond waste management, scientifically validated iron-rich materials could potentially contribute to addressing micronutrient deficiencies in soils and crops.
A circular-economy bridge between mining and farming
The significance of the partnership extends beyond the two institutions.
For the mining and minerals sector, successful validation could provide a pathway for reducing long-term storage requirements for tailings and converting a by-product into a potential value-generating resource.
For agriculture, it could open another avenue for nutrient management and soil-health interventions.
For environmental stakeholders, it offers the possibility of reducing waste accumulation and improving resource efficiency.
And for the broader economy, it demonstrates how industry-generated materials can potentially be brought back into productive use through scientific innovation rather than being treated solely as waste.
The research is therefore positioned at the intersection of agriculture, mining, environmental management, soil science, resource efficiency and circular economy.
AM/NS India expands its resource-efficiency footprint
The MoU is also aligned with AM/NS India’s broader sustainability strategy centred on resource efficiency, waste valorisation and circular-economy practices.
The company has undertaken initiatives including steel scrap recycling, conversion of steel slag into its branded aggregate product “Aakar” for infrastructure applications, extensive water recycling through Zero Liquid Discharge systems, and reuse or recycling of more than 90% of process by-products generated in its operations.
The new partnership with ICAR-IARI adds agriculture to this resource-recovery landscape.
The bigger question: Can “waste” become wealth?
The answer will not come from the MoU alone.
It will emerge from multi-season field trials, soil and crop data, environmental assessments and independent scientific validation.
That is precisely why the collaboration is potentially significant. Rather than assuming that an industrial by-product is suitable for agriculture, the partners are seeking to establish—with scientific evidence—where, how and under what conditions it may be safely used.
If the research successfully clears those scientific and environmental tests, iron ore tailings could move from the mining industry’s storage yards towards a very different destination: the circular economy, where yesterday’s by-product becomes tomorrow’s resource.
For India’s twin challenges of sustainable agriculture and responsible industrial growth, that would be more than an MoU—it could be a new bridge between the mine and the farm.
