India to surge past US in steel use in 2019, rank next only to China: study

Country will continue to hold second spot in 2020; While fiscal deficit might weigh on public investment to an extent, continuing infra projects are likely to support 7% growth in steel demand

India will outstrip the United States to become the second largest steel consuming nation in the world in calendar 2019 after China.

China, the largest market for steel, will ace the rankings with an estimated consumption of 843.3 million tonnes in 2019.

In 2020 too, India will pip US to finish as the second largest user of steel, according to World Steel Association (WSA).

The usage of finished steel products in India is pegged at 102.8 million tonnes in 2019, rising to 110.2 million tonnes (mt) in 2020. The country’s steel use in 2018 was 96 million tonnes.

Against India's marked gains, WSA projects