ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel maker,  has committed investments of nearly $25 billion in the country, a top company official said.

Shortly after Mittal Steel's acquisition of Arcelor SA in 2006, the combined entity had outlined plans for setting up two 12-million tonnes steel plants, one each in Orissa and Jharkhand, at an investment of invest $10 billion each.

Arcelor Mittal is putting up two steel plants of 12 million tonnes capacity each in Orissa and Jharkhand at a total cost of $20 billion.

Reports also said Mittal has earmarked about Rs2,400 crore towards corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, including resettlement and rehabilitation of the project-affected in India.

The company is also pursuing a joint venture proposal to manufacture stainless steel for the automobile sector with a Chennai-based steel maker, a report quoting Malay Mukherjee, a member of the group management board of the company, said.

Mukherjee is quoted as having said, "India is one of the star performers and we are very bullish about it. We are committed to invest nearly $25 billion."

Besides, the steel giant is eying India's huge coal reserves.  Mittal has proposed a joint venture with Coal India Ltd, in abandoned and unexplored mines, and, if the government gave the green signal, in surface coal gassification project with Reliance Industries.

Arcelor Mittal is also in talks with Coal India Ltd for a joint venture in abandoned mines and unexplored reserves, and, if the government gives approval, for a joint venture with Reliance Industries for a surface coal gassification project.

Public sector CIL, however, said it needs a government directive for entering into such alliances. "We follow expression of interest route for any joint venture company," CIL said.

CIL, too, is said to be interested in surface coal gassification project and has  asked the Central Mine Planning Development Institute to give details about abandoned mines and their reserves.