In line with mounting production capacities, the government emphasized the need to raise the demand for steel in India. Besides, Sunil Barthwal, Joint Secretary at the Indian Ministry of Steel, has pointed out that if the domestic demand is falling slightly short, so the issue is that the domestic demand has to be raised. He also noted that the production capacities in the country are growing at a very good pace and have grown by 6.7 percent in the calendar year up to September in the last nine months.
Asserting that India now has become a net exporter of steel amid weak domestic demand, Barthwal has said that the country’s steel products are being exported across the world, including advanced countries. He said “It is not just that we are selling (steel products) to Africa. We are selling it to the most advanced countries where they are competing with the best of the products.” He also noted that other than demand, the government's focus was to make Indian steel industries globally competitive.
Earlier, the government had said that there was a need to create steel demand in line with the planned increase in capacities. It had also said that creating demand for 300 million tonnes of steel -- the output target India is looking at by 2031, will be a big challenge. India’s per capita steel consumption at 61 kg is much lower than the global average of 208 kg.