LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Indian commodities giant Vedanta Resources PLC (VED.LN) will lead the merger of Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd. (500900.BY) and Sesa Goa to form the world's seventh-largest diversified mining company, reports the U.K.'s Telegraph on Sunday.

The merger was first planned in 2008, but dropped as a result of the global financial crisis, says the report, which didn't cite sources.

The newly-formed Indian mining champion "Sesa Sterlite" will have a diverse range of resources such as iron ore, oil, gas, zinc and aluminum.

Vedanta Resources wasn't available for immediate comment.

Newspaper website: www.telegraph.co.uk

-By Neena Rai, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 (0)20 7842 9450; neena.rai@dowjones.com