Steel firms expect pick-up in domestic demand from July, led by auto sector

Housing sector demand yet to get back with construction activity being impacted by lockdowns and migration of workers

After a drop in domestic demand on the back of lockdowns following the surge in Covid-19 cases in India, steel companies are expecting a pick-up from July onwards.

T V Narendran, managing director and chief executive officer, Tata Steel, said, the automotive sector should pick up from next month.

“Construction should also pick up, but we are getting into the monsoon period when it slows down every year with or without the pandemic,” he added.

Jayant Acharya, director–commerce & marketing, JSW Steel, said, “We expect consumption to pick up from July onwards and pent-up demand to kick-in from H2. To