Vedanta’s Anil Agarwal presses on with plan to raise oil, zinc output

Mining mogul Anil Agarwal is pushing ahead with an aggressive plan to raise oil and gas production, expand output of metals like zinc and aluminum, and foray into semiconductor manufacturing, undeterred by concerns about debt levels at the company.

Raised in Patna, Agarwal, who dropped out of school at 15, started his business in Mumbai in 1976 as a scrap-metal dealer. Now he runs a mining and metals empire that spans Britain, India, Africa and Australia.

In an interview with PTI, he said mining can help India prosper as tapping into below-the-ground natural resources will not just cut dependence on imports but also create jobs and increase prosperity.