In the 46th annual conference of the World Steel Association held in Delhi on Wednesday, Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma said the Government is making efforts to fuel the growth in the steel industry by providing a good investment climate to domestic and foreign steel makers.
Verma said that the steel capacity in India has increased from 66 million tonnes in 2009 to about 90 mt in 2012.
He said the capacity will increase further as steel plants in both public and private sectors have taken up expansion and modernization programmes. “As per projection, the capacity in the country would grow to around 200 mt by 2020,†he said.
The Minister said the Government is taking steps to improve the use of steel in rural areas.
He said a National Steel Policy is being prepared to provide the vision and framework for increasing the production and consumption.
“We welcome partnerships with leading global steel makers to improve process and product technologies and are always open to new ideas,†he added.
Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath said in his address that the country has a huge infrastructure deficit.
He said the challenge before the country is developing infrastructure and this challenge will drive the steel industry in the future.
Source: The Hindu
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