Thriveni Earthmovers

About Thriveni Earthmovers

The story begins not with a grand vision, but with a crisis. In 2000, B. Prabhakaran, a young contractor with a computer science degree, found himself in a tough spot. A major contract had fallen through, leaving his company, Thriveni Earthmovers, with idle equipment and 500 employees. Desperate for work, he won a bid for an iron ore mining project in Keonjhar, Odisha, only to find the mine lacked the necessary clearances to begin work. This early challenge defined the company's playbook. Instead of owning mines, Thriveni focused on becoming the indispensable contractor, the mine developer and operator (MDO) that leaseholders rely on for everything from excavation to logistics. Prabhakaran, who founded the company as a partnership firm with his father and brother in 1991, saw opportunity where others saw hassle. He built his empire by taking on the operational complexities of mining, growing from a modest turnover to becoming India's largest MDO. The model proved incredibly successful. Thriveni expanded its services across iron ore, coal, and other minerals, even venturing into Indonesia and Mozambique. A significant chapter unfolded recently. In 2021, Thriveni entered a strategic partnership with Lloyds Metals and Energy. This culminated in Lloyds acquiring a nearly 80% stake in Thriveni's demerged MDO business in a deal completed in mid-2025. This strategic acquisition secures a massive order book for the combined entity and aims to enhance operational capacity, marking a new era of consolidation and growth in India's mining sector.