From Gadchiroli's Hills to India's Steel Future.

A Nagpur-based company building Maharashtra's next iron ore-to-steel value chain — starting with the Surjagad Iron Ore Block in Gadchiroli.

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Est. 1996

Surjagad Iron Ore Block, Gadchiroli

886 Hectares

Maharashtra Steel Hub Initiative

Universal is a Nagpur-headquartered company with a long-standing base in industrial equipment and technical services, now entering mineral development as one of the companies awarded a block under Maharashtra's Gadchiroli Steel Hub plan. We are currently in the exploration and statutory permission stage of the Surjagad Iron Ore Block, working toward a responsibly developed mining operation that adds value locally rather than exporting ore alone.

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The Project

Surjagad, Gadchiroli: where we are and where we're headed.

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Responsible Mining

Our commitments on forest land, reclamation, and compliance.

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Community Partnership

Working with Steelcity Foundation on Gadchiroli's youth and skills.

About Universal

Who We Are

Universal Industrial Equipment and Technical Services Pvt. Ltd. was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Built on a foundation of industrial equipment and technical services, Universal has expanded into mineral resource development, with a focus on responsible, compliance-first execution.

Our Entry into Mining

In 2023, Universal was named a preferred bidder for the Surjagad Iron Ore Block in Gadchiroli district — one of a small group of companies, alongside major national players, selected as part of Maharashtra's plan to develop Gadchiroli into a significant steel-industry hub.

Our Approach

We believe a mining company's licence to operate is earned continuously, not granted once — transparent engagement with regulators and communities, minimal-disturbance practices, and a long-term view of responsible development.

Our Global Position

Gadchiroli vs. The World — Top Iron Ore Producing Regions

World's Top 10 Iron Ore Producers, 2025 (Million Tonnes, Usable Ore)

Rank Country Production (Mt) Share
1Australia98039.2%
2Brazil42016.8%
3India31012.4%
4China29011.6%
5Iran933.7%
6Russia863.4%
7Canada692.8%
8South Africa662.6%
9Ukraine522.1%
10USA381.5%

India has overtaken China for 3rd place — up from 4th as recently as 2022. Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, 2025.

Universal's Edge — Exporting Low-Grade Ore

Policy

Duty-Free, Today

India currently levies nil export duty on sub-58% Fe ore — a favourable policy stance, though periodically reviewed and worth watching.

Logistics

Freight Advantage

Closer to Middle East, Africa & South/Southeast Asian buyers than Brazil's trans-Atlantic route; competitive with Australia on these corridors.

Market

Structural Pull

China's tightening grade & environmental standards are pushing low-grade demand toward diversified markets — where Universal can position early.

Universal's Share of Iron Ore Deposits, By Scale — 400 Mt expected deposits (subject to proving) measured against each level's own resource/reserve base.

Gadchiroli
Maharashtra
India
World

3.5%

400 Mt expected deposits vs. ~11,500 Mt hill-range extrapolation

3.5%

Surjagad belt is the State's entire active iron-ore base

1.1%

400 Mt vs. India's 35,290 Mt resource base (Ministry of Mines, 2024)

0.2%

400 Mt vs. ~195,000 Mt world reserves (USGS, 2025)

Our Commitments

Sustainability & Community

Delivered in Partnership with Steelcity Foundation

Steelcity Foundation is committed to understanding Gadchiroli's talent landscape at a micro level — and building pathways for the community's progress across genders, age groups, skill sets, and aspirations. By widening exposure to modern professions and enterprise, the Foundation works to gradually scale local talent into a progressive, thriving community.

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Talent Landscape Study

Mapping education, skills & employability across Gadchiroli's villages at a micro level.

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Drone Pilot Training Centre

Certified training opening new-age technology careers for local youth.

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Higher Education & Career Counselling

Guidance connecting youth to higher education and the steel economy.

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World Martial Arts Training Centre

Focused on women's capabilities — pathways into sport and Defense Forces.

Our Flagship Project

The Surjagad Iron Ore Block

Etapalli Taluka, Gadchiroli District, Maharashtra

Where

An 886-hectare iron ore block within the Surjagad Hill range — one of Maharashtra's most significant iron-bearing belts.

How We Got Here

Letter of Intent issued 28 July 2023; Universal formally declared successful bidder on 15 March 2024, as part of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli Steel Hub initiative.

Where We Are Today

Our original exploration proposal secured in-principle forest approval, with drone and DGPS survey work already completed. Following new government provisions designed to streamline the exploration stage for project proponents, we since filed a revised proposal under this more favourable framework — now pursuing final permission for a 60-borehole geophysical mapping and core-drilling programme to prove the block's reserves.

Our Vision for the Project

Beyond extraction, our plan includes investment in on-site value-addition — moving raw ore toward higher-value products such as beneficiated concentrate and pellets, in addition to supplying regional integrated steel plants. A project that strengthens Maharashtra's own steel value chain, not one that simply exports raw material.

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Doing It Responsibly

Every stage of our exploration work — from borehole placement to site access — is designed around minimal disturbance: no new road construction, no tree felling, and full compliance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and MoEF&CC guidelines.

The Road Ahead

Our Way Forward

How Universal plans to scale from exploration to a full mining-to-value-addition operation — and stay ready to partner as Gadchiroli's steel corridor takes shape.

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Scaling Up

Growing Our Ore Excavation Operations

Universal's roadmap takes Surjagad from first ore to a meaningfully scaled mining operation over the coming decade. Rather than a single production target, we're planning a phased ramp-up — one benchmarked against the belt's own precedent, where established operators nearby have grown their output many-fold within a similar window.

Every stage of that growth is designed to follow what our ongoing exploration programme actually proves in the ground, not the other way around. Reserve-proving comes first; production scale follows it.

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Value Addition

Setting Up Our Ore Processing Units

Extraction is only the first step in Universal's plan. We intend to invest in on-site beneficiation and pellet or sponge-iron capacity — converting a share of our own ore into higher-value products rather than exporting raw material alone.

The balance of our output is intended for long-term supply to India's integrated steel plants — keeping Universal positioned as both a raw-material supplier and a value-adding participant within the same steel value chain, not just an upstream miner.

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Partnership & Market Agility

Staying Agile in a Growing Steel Value Chain

The steel economy around Gadchiroli is still taking shape — new capacity, new corridors, and new buyers, both within India and beyond it. Universal is structuring its exploration, mining, and processing plans to stay flexible.

That means staying ready to expand offtake relationships with domestic steelmakers, open to joint-venture and strategic-investment conversations, and alert to opportunities in India's wider trade relationships — including its 2026 BRICS chairmanship. The aim is a company that can move as fast as the opportunity does.

The People Behind Universal

The Team — Leadership, Advisors & Representatives

Group Founder

Mr. Nitin Upare

A visionary and Leadership-Driven Entrepreneur who believes that lasting success is built through people, purpose, and perseverance.

Hailing from Chandrapur, a small town in Maharashtra, Mr. Nitin Upare's journey is a story of ambition shaped by humility and hard work. Growing up in a middle-class family — his father was a Government Official and mother is a homemaker — he learned early the values of discipline, integrity, and perseverance that continue to guide his professional life.

With over 25 years of experience, he is a diversified industrialist who translates strategic foresight into tangible growth — from early grassroots ventures to leading large-scale operations in energy and infrastructure, with a consistent commitment to operational excellence, integrity, and sustainable value creation.

Mr. Nitin Upare

Our Advisors

CA Vishal Kumar — Advisor, Finance & Strategy

CA Vishal Kumar is a seasoned business leader and strategic finance professional with extensive experience in business transformation, MSME growth, venture funding, financial restructuring, taxation, and strategic business management.

Qualifications: Chartered Accountant (ICAI); Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta.

Core expertise: Business Transformation & Revival, Venture Capital & Funding, Financial Planning & Budgeting, GST & Indian Taxation, Business Strategy & Project Management, Financial Controls & Reporting, and MSME Business Development — including prior experience with a Big 4 firm and in FinTech.

CA Vishal Kumar

Mr. Rajendra Kalamkar — Advisor, Geology & Mining Policy

Educational Qualifications: M.Sc. Geology; LLM, Commercial Laws; Bachelor of Mass Communication; PGDHRM — Human Resource Management; PGDIBO — International Business Operations.

Professional Experience: Geologist, Ground Water Survey & Development Agency (1984–86); Geologist, Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd. (1986–94); Directorate of Geology & Mining, Government of Maharashtra (1994–2020), serving as its Director from 2015–20; superannuated as Director in 2020.

Credentials: Recipient of two National Awards from the Ministry of Administrative Reforms, Government of India — for remote sensing (jointly with MRSAC) and for mineral block auctions, awarded by the Ministry of Mines, Government of India.

Mr. Rajendra Kalamkar

Field Operations Partner

Steelcity Geo-Rangers — Liaising Partners & Networking Representatives

Steelcity Geo-Rangers

Steelcity Geo-Rangers is Gadchiroli's own industrial land intelligence and advisory firm — the first line of exploration for corporations and investors entering the district, empowering India's newest industrial corridor through strategic land intelligence and advisory services.

Combining GIS analytics, drone and satellite mapping, and rigorous ground verification with deep local insight, they support Universal's geophysical mapping, borehole logistics, and government liaison across the Surjagad exploration programme.

Their approach: Explore. Evaluate. Empower. — bridging vision with viability, and strategy with sustainability, beginning with Gadchiroli's own steel corridor.

Get in Touch

Contact Us

Whether you're a potential partner, media, or have a project question — we'd like to hear from you.

Corporate Office

Universal Industrial Equipment and Technical Services Pvt. Ltd.
Plot No. 736, Nelson Square,
Vijay Nagar Road, Raj Nagar,
Nagpur – 440013, Maharashtra, India

envelope info@universalmines.com phone +91 (0) 883 014 3792