Mumbai, July 2 -- Billionaire Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Iron & Steel is aiming to double the steelmaking capacity at its Bokaro plant to 3 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) by the end of 2026, nearly a year ahead of the timeline indicated in the company's annual report, according to two people familiar with the matter. The report had guided that the capacity expansion from 1.5 mtpa to 3 mtpa would be completed by the end of FY28.

The Bokaro expansion has faced multiple regulatory hurdles since Vedanta acquired ESL Steel Ltd in 2018. The project was delayed by pending statutory approvals, including environmental clearances and consent-related approvals from regulators, the people cited above said on the condition of anonymity, adding the ste...