MUMBAI, April 19 -- With its iron ore mining leases in Jharkhand and Odisha set to expire by 2030, Tata Steel is preparing for a future that could see fewer permanent workers.

The company has slowed hiring of permanent blue-collar workers over the past two years and is sensitizing its existing workforce and unions to a potential transition, including the possibility of moving to a new mine owner.

"Tata Steel will see its number of permanent workers transition after 2030 as some of its captive iron ore mining leases come up for expiry," Atrayee Sanyal, chief people officer at Tata Steel Group told Mint in an interview at the company's headquarters in Bombay House in Mumbai.

At the end of FY25, Tata Steel's permanent blue-collar workforc...