Crude steel output jumps 6.8% to 8.3 mt in Sept

Domestic crude steel production rose by 6.8 per cent to 8.39 million tonnes (mt) in September 2017 compared to 7.86 mt in the same month last year, according to the official data.

"During April-September 2017, crude steel production was 49.764 mt, a growth of 4.5 per cent over the same period of the last year," the Joint Plant Committee (JPC) under the Ministry of Steel said in a report.

"SAIL, RINL, TSL, Essar, JSWL and JSPL together produced 28.438 mt," the report said, adding that the rest 21.326 mt came from other producers.

The country had produced 47.608 mt crude steel during the first six months of the preceding fiscal.

Overall production of total finished steel for sale was at 8.814 mt, up by 5.6 per cent over September 2016, it said. The production was down 0.2 per cent compared to August 2017.

"Production of total finished steel for sale was at 52.079 mt during April-September 2017, a growth of 5.1 per cent over same period of last year," the report said.

In April-September, hot metal output stood at 32.341 mt, registering a growth of 0.8 per cent over the same period last year, the JPC said in its report, adding, "Overall hot metal production last month at 5.532 mt was down by 0.5 per cent up over August2017 but was up by 3.9 per cent over September last year."

During the six-month period, the country's pig iron production for sale was at 4.568 mt, a fall of 3.1 per cent over the same period last year. Overall production for sale of pig iron last month at 0.776 mt was up of 3.1 per cent over August 2017 and was at same level as in September 2016.

The JPC collects data on the iron and steel industry.

India is the third largest producer of crude steel in the world after China and Japan. The country is now aiming to grab the second spot.