The Sajjan Jindal-promoted JSW Steel, which is focussed on bulk materials — steel, aluminium, energy and cement — has identified software solutions and bio-diesel as potential business opportunities. As a first step, the group is exploring options to hive off its in-house software arm, JSoft Solutions into a separate vertical that would provide software solutions to other companies as well.
The Bangalore-based JSoft Solutions currently manages the software requirements of JSW Steel and the rural BPOs that JSW Steel promotes as a part of its CSR activities. ?The plans are still in the drawing board stage and it would be too premature to give an estimate of the size of the business,? a company official told FE.
The JSW Foundation has a 100 seater all women BPO at Vijayanagar, a second 100 seater at Bellary will be inaugurated on Wednesday and work for the third non-voice 300-seater BPO is under progress.
The group has also undertaken the cultivation of jatropha in 120 acre of land around its steel plant in Vijayanagar. What started as part of the greening of the area, has now become a business initiative to produce bio-diesel. This project also helps to fetch carbon credits. Once the group manages to convince farmers to cultivate jatropha in 1000 acres, the company will look at entering the bio-diesel segment. ?The idea is to establish a bio-diesel extraction plant and use the diesel by blending with fossil fuel to run the locomotives within JSW as a first step,? said a company official.
The company has started motivating farmers to grow jatropha in waste lands and on the land boundaries with a buyback guarantee. It is also negotiating with the government and the forest department to allot fallow land close to JSW for jatropha cultivation. It may also take up planting of jatropha with buyback guarantee.
?(The travel for the story was sponsored by JSW Steel)