‘We are aiming for second global spot’ – Choudhary Birender Singh

26 December 2016

Union steel minister Choudhary Birender Singh said the ministry is focusing on strengthening research and development and marketing to implement the government’s plans to produce high end steel products for international markets here on Wednesday.

Riding on the turnaround of the country’s steel industry sector, the Narendra Modi government is now aiming to manufacture and export ‘high-end steel’ for the international market.

Stating that the country’s steel sector has managed a turnaround in the last four months, the eyes are now set in achieving the second spot in terms of global steel production and sales.

The country exported 5.59 million tonnes of alloy and non-alloy steel in the 2014-15 fiscal.

“We are currently ranked third globally. Only China (first) and Japan are ahead of us,” Singh told reporters in Ranchi on Wednesday. “We are aiming to replace Korea in the second spot in another two months,” he added.

Choudhary was on a day’s visit to Ranchi where he inaugurated a 1 MTPA coke oven battery and a 4250 cubic meter blast furnace in PSU Mecon.

In a closed-door meeting with Mecon officials, Choudhary directed to step up its research and development in designing low-cost steel structures. Choudhary directed the PSU to set up dedicated wings for research and development and marketing and set a Rs 1,500 crore business target for the 2017-18 financial year.

The push for development of indigenous technology comes at a time when the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has entered into talks with Nippo Steel and Kobe Steel in Japan for technology exchange.

Source – TOI