'Govt to remove all hurdles to increase steel output to 300MT'

The government today said it will remove hurdles impeding steel sector growth and help the domestic industry achieve 300 million tonnes (MT) annual production by 2025.
"An inter-ministerial meeting will be held early next week to address all issues impeding steel sector's growth. Steel production is not up to mark but we are confident that we will boost it," Steel and Mines Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told reporters after a CII delegation called on him.
The constraints raised by the industry related to land acquisition, connectivity, infrastructure, raw material availability and timely regulatory approvals.
"Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Environment and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar will also be participating in the meet to address hurdles related to green nods and coal linkages," Tomar said.

Sesa Sterlite CEO, Tom Albanese, who was also part of the CII delegation said after the meeting, "I am very very pleased to see the government taking such a strong proactive stance to create a strong industry."
Meanwhile, an official statement by the Steel Ministry said, "The industry expressed its confidence that the target of 300 MT of steel production per annum by 2025 would be possible if the various constraints were addressed."

At least 200 MT new steel capacity is needed to take the country's steel output to 300 MT.
Last year, it was decided in a high-level meeting that push will be given towards creating domestic manufacturing capabilities in advanced materials, alloys and composites and also treble the country's steel production capacity to 300 MT by 2025.

At present, the country's crude capacity for steel production is 96 MT per annum.
The CII delegation which called on the Minister included SAIL CMD CS Verma, Rio Tinto India MD Nik Senapati, Sesa Sterlite CEO Tom Albanese and and JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal.