More than 600 international mining professionals are expected to be in Kolkata, India in January for the 2nd Asian Mining Congress.

The theme of next year"s event, which will be from January 17-19, is "Mineral Resources in Asian countries - Innovative Solutions for Exploration and Expansion".

The event has been organised by the Mining, Geological and Metallurgical Institute of India (MGMI), in association with Coal India Limited. The event is supported by the Ministry of Coal.

Mining industry leaders from around the world, including India, will debate, deliberate and exchange views on the key issues for the mineral sector in Asia and how technology needs to advance to meet the emerging challenges.

More than 600 delegates from more than 20 countries including India, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Germany, Poland, Russia, South Africa, Iran and United States are expected to participate in the high profile congress.

India's growth of its mining sector has been inter-linked with the growth of the Indian economy and indirectly with the growth of its infrastructure. The last few years have witnessed a phase of restructuring in the industry through acquisitions and joint ventures.

Many international players have shown keen interest in the Indian domestic market and, according to a recent study conducted by the industry, 65% of the new global players are expected to enter the booming Indian market in the next three years.

India, which is the world's largest producer of mica blocks and an industry leader in mica splitting, is ranked third in the production of coal, lignite and barytes, fourth in iron ore, eighth in aluminum and sixth in bauxite and manganese production and reserves.

With the recent spurt in world demand for chromite, India has stepped up its production to reach the third position among the chromite producers.