Kalinganagar can contribute 20% of 300 mn tonne steel target by 2030

National Investment & Manufacturing Zone is also being set up at Kalinganagar

The Union steel ministry is confident that the Kalinganagar industrIal complex in Odisha can contribute 20 per cent of the country's targeted 300 million tonne steel capacity by 2030 as prescribed in the National Steel Policy-2017.

"Odisha is blessed with all kind of minerals. There is scope for a steel hub here. We are expecting at least 20 per cent of the new capacity to meet the targeted 300 million tonne steel output capacity by 2030-31 will come from Kalinganagar", said Union steel minister Chaudhary Birender Singh, who was here to attend the Steel Consumers Council meeting here.

Kalinganagar industrial complex currently houses steel behemoths like Tata Steel, Visa Steel, Mesco steel and Jindal Stainless Ltd.

It may be noted that National Investment & Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) is also being set up at Kalinganagar. The NIMZ is expected to attract investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore and generate employment for 4,50,000 people after its completion. The manufacturing zone is expected to attract investment from varied sectors like metal and mines, automotive, steel, and downstream industries.

The steel ministry is eyeing to grab about 10 per cent of the budget of Rs four lakh crore infrastructure budget allocated to various sectors by maximising the utilisation of the steel.

"We will be going in a big way for at least three-four infrastructure projects this year. There is provision to spend Rs 4 lakh crore on infrastructure this year. We want maximum use of steel in such projects. If steel constitutes 10 per cent component of these projects, then we would be buying Rs 40,000 crore worth of steel from different plants", Singh said.

The ministry is also eyeing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as an option to improve consumption of steel.

The steel ministry in August this year will organise a fortnight exhibition all over the country of the steel products used for the construction of houses, toilets, bridges and roads.

"We have asked all our stakeholders integrated steel plants and secondary steel producers to showcase their products so that the consumption can be raised to that level where we can achieve the target of 160 kg per capita", said the minister.

On the steel products which are finding a way into the country in the guise of utensils and finished products, he said, "we are keeping an eye on that and we will not allow such kind of practices".