Tata, ArcelorMittal in race to buy Krakatau

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New Delhi, May 3: World's fifth largest steelmaker Tata is likely to join the race to acquire Indonesia's state-run steel mill P T Krakatau alongwith ArcelorMittal and Australia's BlueScope, the country's leading daily The Jakarta Post reported.

According to the Director General for Metal, Machinery and Textiles in Indonesia Ansari Bukhari, Tata has sent a letter to the Ministry inquiring how it could take part in the privatisation process.

"Tata Steel's Chief Executive Indranil Sengupta, plans to meet with Minister of Industry Fahmi Idris sometime on May 5 or 6. He has some questions on the government's plan to privatise Krakatau Steel," the daily quoted Bukhari as saying.

Another report quoted Bukhari as saying that Essar has also evinced interest in acquiring Krakatau.

BlueScope has also expressed its desire to meet the country's Industry Minister on May 8 or 9 to discuss the privatisation, it said and added that Tata would have to compete with these Companies, especially ArcelorMittal that has already offered to acquire 40 per cent stake in Krakatau.

On April 10 ArcelorMittal CEO L N Mittal met Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and expressed his interest to invest 3 billion dollars in the country's mining and steel Companies, it said.

"With so much interest in Krakatau Steel, we will make the choice based on investors' ability to provide up-to-date technologies and financial support," the daily quoted Ansari as saying.