India’s total steel capacity stood at approximately 220 MTPA in FY 2025–26, on track toward the National Steel Policy target of 300 MTPA by 2030, centre said on Wednesday.
India’s steel sector sustained its growth trajectory in April 2026, recording year-on-year gains across key production and consumption parameters. The month continued to reflect healthy domestic demand momentum and stable industrial activity across infrastructure and manufacturing.
Crude steel production in April 2026 stood at 14.09 million tonnes, up 5.8% year-on-year (YoY) over April 2025 (13.31 million tonnes). Hot metal production grew 5.4% YoY, while pig iron output (0.69 million tonnes) posted a decline of 6% YoY. Finished steel production reached 13.05 million tonnes, up 3.4% YoY, Ministry of Steel said.
Finished steel consumption in April 2026 was 12.99 million tonnes, registering growth of 8.1% YoY reflecting continued buoyancy in construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing end-use segments, it added.
Major players including SAIL, Tata Steel, JSW Steel, JSPL, and AMNS continued investments in capacity expansion, with Tata Steel recently commissioning a Rs 3,200 crore scrap-based EAF green steel plant (0.75 MTPA) at Ludhiana — the first of its kind in Punjab.
On the trade front, imports stood at 0.68 million tonnes and exports at 0.47 million tonnes, making India a marginal net importer during the month. Compared to April 2025 imports of 0.52 million tonnes and exports of 0.38 million tonnes, a growth of 30.8% and 24.9% was registered in imports and exports respectively in April 2026.
Under the Ministry of Steel’s Green Steel Initiative, NISST continued its role as the nodal agency for measurement, reporting, verification, and certification of green steel.
“As on 31st March 2026, NISST had issued green steel certificates to 90 producers across 15 states, spanning products including TMT Bars, HR/CR Coils, Wire Rods, and Pipes, with a majority of certified products achieving the highest 5-star rating — reflecting strong uptake of the initiative across secondary and mid-size steel producers,” the steel ministry said.
Domestic steel prices extended their recovery in April 2026 across all major product categories. TMT/Rebar prices rose ~2.6% month-on-month, also registering a 3% year-on-year gain — marking the first positive YoY reading after several months of softness.