History & Lineage

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Our History

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Mahatma Gandhi called Sandur "an oasis" as he applauded the royal administration for abolishing the caste-based discrimination in the state and fostering equanimity amongst its people. For the ruling family of Sandur, the welfare of the people and conservation of nature was of paramount importance, and it is this legacy that we continue to carry forward.

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The Sandur Manganese and Iron Ores Limited (SMIORE) traces its roots in the pre-independence era, under the benign and progressive administration of the Ghorpade family, the erstwhile royal family of Sandur. In 1904, the former ruler of Sandur, His Highness Y. R. Ghorpade, granted a mining lease over an area of 7,511 Ha to a Belgian company named General Sandur Mining Company for 25 years. The mining operations in the present area commenced in 1907.

His Highness Yeshwantrao Hindurao Ghorpade envisioned scientifically developing and professionally managing the mines. To realise this vision, he guided and supported his eldest son, Murarirao Yeshwantrao Ghorpade, in establishing SMIORE in 1954. Under the visionary leadership of Murarirao Yeshwantrao Ghorpade, the Company became a public limited entity in 1964 and later listed on the BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) Limited.

Yeshwantrao Hindurao Ghorpade
Murarirao Yeshwantrao Ghorpade

It was also during the 1960s that SMIORE entered into manufacturing with a strategic vision of value addition and industrial development of the region. Our present Chairman Emeritus, Shivrao Yeshwantrao Ghorpade, helmed the Company’s foray into the electro-metallurgical industry with the production of ferroalloys in 1968. A Metallurgical Engineer from the prestigious Colorado School of Mines in the USA, and an eminent metallurgy expert in the country, he guided in developing and building infrastructure of the SMIORE’s Metal & Ferroalloy Plant from scratch to its commissioning and implementation of strong principles, scientific and systematic procedures and a performance-oriented approach to the manufacturing operations methodology.

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Throughout its existence, SMIORE has garnered invaluable experience, strength, agility, and adaptability through its long and inspiring history. Over time, the Company has also contributed significantly to nation-building and forest conservation by giving more than 4,000 Ha of ore-rich land to NMDC (a public sector company) and the forest department.

Today, SMIORE continues to deliver its commitment to sustainable and inclusive growth backed by innovation, efficiency and social welfare and is well poised for further expansion and diversification under the leadership of our young Managing Director, Bahirji Ajai Ghorpade.

Over the decades, generations of Ghorpade family members nurtured, strengthened and diversified the Company while following the group’s core ethos and values centred around scientific advancement, social welfare and environmental conservation. The Company is proud of its rich history and finds strength in its experience, indomitable spirit and power to adapt and deliver excellence.