Tata Steel August sales up 25%

Tata Steel today said it witnessed a 25 per cent rise in its sales to 4.92 lakh tonnes in August on the back of robust demand from the construction sector.     

In the corresponding period last year, the steel major's sales stood at 3.92 lakh tonnes, the company said in a statement here.     

The company said that in the reporting month there was a 81 per cent increase in the sales of long steel products over the same period a year ago.     

During the month under review, the company saw its crude steel output rising by 16 per cent to 5.52 lakh tonnes.     

Its saleable steel production increased by 14 per cent to 5.26 lakh tonnes last month as against 4.60 lakh tonnes in July 2008.     

The company's hot metal production too went up to 5.97 lakh tonnes as compared to 5.18 lakh tonnes produced a year ago, a growth rate of 15 per cent. Tata Steel added that it was the best hot metal production ever recorded.     

The firm said that "it completed August'09 by showing a significant increase in its hot metal, crude steel and saleable steel production over the corresponding month of last year."     

Besides hot metal, the firm said its one of the steel melting shops too recorded its best-ever production.