India: Major ERW pipe manufacturer has rolled over their prices for early-May’26 sales

• ERW pipe sentiment muted amid weak demand, tight liquidity
• Stable mill prices despite mixed weekly regional price trends

A major Indian producer in ERW pipes, specialising in hot-rolled coil (HRC)-based products, has rolled over their list prices of its base-grade pipes (25-125 NB, 2.2-6 mm) across various locations for early-May 2026 sales compared with mid-April 2026, market participants told BigMint.

The list prices stood at INR 67,500/t ($715/t) exy-Raipur, INR 69,500/t ($736/t) exy-Bangalore, excluding 18% GST. The revised prices are effective from 1 May 2026.

Market update

Distributor-level weekly average prices of ERW pipes in Raipur dropped by INR 600/t ($6/t) w-o-w to INR 64,500/t ($683/t) compared with INR 65,100/t ($689/t) in the previous week.
Distributor-level weekly average prices of ERW pipes in Bangalore decreased by INR 450/t ($5/t) w-o-w to INR 66,200/t ($701/t) compared with INR 65,750/t ($696/t) in the previous week.

The market is currently seeing weak demand and sluggish trade activity, with participants highlighting that tight liquidity and reduced buying interest are keeping overall sentiment muted. The continuous price hikes seen last month failed to gain traction, as the market couldn’t absorb the increases, further weighing on sentiment.
One of the market participants quoted, “there’s still some cautious optimism in the market, with participants expecting demand to pick up gradually and trade activity to improve over time.”

Trade-level HRC prices down w-o-w

BigMint’s benchmark assessment (bi-weekly) for HRC (IS2062, Gr E250, 2.5-8 mm/CTL) prices inched down by INR 200/t ($2/t) w-o-w to INR 57,700/t ($606/t) on 5 May against INR 57,900/t ($608/t) as on 28 April.

Trade sentiment in India’s HRC market stayed weak, with low demand weighing on activity. Furthermore, labour shortages and slower construction further reduced buying interest. Meanwhile, distributors reported limited enquiries, and despite recent price hikes, unclear demand kept buyers cautious about fresh purchases.

Outlook

In the near term, the ERW pipe market may remain slow and slightly under pressure, with weak demand and cautious buying limiting activity. Prices are likely to stay range-bound with a mild downside, unless demand shows a clear and steady improvement.