India’s Steel Sector Continues Its Upward Trajectory in Apr-Jul 2026

Ministry of Steel India’s Steel Sector Continues Its Upward Trajectory in Apr-Jul 2026 Posted On: 25 AUG 2026 1:07PM by PIB Delhi 1. Steel Production & Prices 1a. Production Overview (in Mt) Production Jul 2026 Jul 2025 YoY % Apr-Jul Apr-Jul CPLY % 2026 2025 Crude Steel 14.4 14.1 1.9 56.2 54.9 2.4 Hot Metal 8.4 7.9 6.3 31.9 31.1 2.7 Finished Steel 14.0 13.5 3.9 54.7 52.2 4.7 1b. Producer wise Production (Apr-Jul 2026) (in Mt) Producer Annual Crude Crude Steel Finished Steel Steel Capacity Production Production Hot Metal ProductionTop 7 117.4 31.3 29.7 29.3 Remaining producers 105.3 24.9 2.3 25.3 TOTAL 222.7 56.2 31.9 54.7 Public Sector Share (%) 13.9 15.8 30.0 13.4 Top 7 includes SAIL, RINL, NSL, TSL Group, AM/NS, JSL(JSPL), JSW Group 1c. Steel Prices (in ₹/tonne) Product Jun-26 Jul-26 Aug-26 MoM % YoY % TMT (10 mm) ₹ 60,068 ₹ 56,698 ₹ 58,003 2.3% 5.8%HR Coil (2 mm) ₹ 70,108 ₹ 69,828 ₹ 70,448 0.9% 15.5% CR Coil (0.63 mm) ₹ 77,052 ₹ 76,582 ₹ 76,463 -0.2% 13.3% GP Sheet (0.63 mm) ₹ 86,505 ₹ 86,415 ₹ 86,668 0.3% 17.7% Note: Prices are inclusive of GST and shown in ₹/tonne, based on average prices from four metro cities— Kolkata, Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. 1d. Alloy Steel — Production, Import, Export & Consumption (in ‘000t) Indicator Jul 2026 Jul 2025 YoY % Apr-Jul Apr-Jul CPLY % 2026 2025 Production 982.6 801.0 22.7 3710.8 2927.9 26.7 Import 79.8 97.0 -17.8 419.3 383.1 9.4 Export 44.1 10.8 307.4 122.2 48.7 150.7 Consumption 1004.0 902.2 11.3 4022.9 3294.0 22.1 1e. Stainless Steel — Production, Import, Export & Consumption (in ‘000t) Indicator Jul 2026 Jul 2025 YoY % Apr-Jul Apr-Jul CPLY % 2026 2025 Production 352.6 389.0 -9.4 1375.6 1436.6 -4.2 Import 186.6 68.8 171.3 497.0 235.1 111.4 Export 45.2 48.8 -7.4 166.7 240.6 -30.7 Consumption 589.1 411.5 43.2 1770.0 1416.4 25.0 2. Demand (in Mt)Jul 2026 Jul 2025 YoY % Apr-Jul Apr-Jul CPLY % Indicator 2026 2025 Finished Steel Consumption 14.4 13.5 6.8 56.0 51.9 7.9 3. Trade Dynamics 3a. Finished Steel — Import & Export Indicator Unit Jul-26 Jul-25 YoY % Apr-Jul Apr-Jul CPLY 2026 2025 % Imports ‘000 t 702.3 641.2 9.5 2766.2 2024.9 36.6 Rs Crore 8116.3 5776.2 40.5 28330.8 19795.0 43.1 Exports ‘000 t 699.3 485.4 44.1 2292.3 1698.0 35.0 Rs Crore 5630.2 4220.2 33.4 18105.4 13996.1 29.4 Net Trade India was net importer of finished steel in terms of quantity for the period of Apr- Position Jul 2026 3b. Top 5 Countries — Finished Steel Import & Export (Apr-Jul 2026) Rank Import Vol. Share Rank Export Vol. Share Country ('000t) % Country ('000t) %1 CHINA 855.8 30.9 1 VIETNAM 354.0 15.4 2 KOREA 835.4 30.2 2 UAE 339.6 14.8 3 JAPAN 413.3 14.9 3 BELGIUM 183.0 8.0 4 INDONESIA 172.3 6.2 4 ITALY 161.5 7.0 5 VIETNAM 139.8 5.1 5 NEPAL 150.4 6.6 3c. Top Categories — Finished Steel Import & Export (Apr-Jul 2026) Rank Import Vol. Share Rank Export Vol. Share % Category ('000t) % Category ('000t) 1 HR 1015.2 36.7 1 HR 841.5 36.7 COIL/STRIP COIL/STRIP 2 CR 488.6 17.7 2 PIPES 356.7 15.6 COIL/SHEETS 3 GP/GC 437.8 15.8 3 GP/GC 297.2 13.0 SHEETS/COIL SHEETS/COIL 4 PLATES 244.6 8.8 4 BARS & 292.4 12.8 RODS 5 BARS & 197.3 7.1 5 PLATES 245.5 10.7 RODS 4. Raw Materials 4a. Domestic Raw Material Prices (₹/tonne) Commodity Jul 2026 Aug 2026 MoM Change NMDC Iron Ore Baila Lump ₹ 5,450 ₹ 5,250 -3.7 (65.5%, 10-40 mm) NMDC Iron Ore Baila Fines (64%, ₹ 4,700 ₹ 4,500 -4.3 0-10 mm) MOIL Manganese Ore Lump (Mn ₹ 18,530 ₹ 17,603 -5.0 37%, Fe 7.5%) Scrap — HMS II ₹ 38,580 ₹ 39,970 3.65. Key Indices Index May 2026 Jun 2026 Jul 2026 MoM YoY Change Change Nifty Metal Index (avg.) 13,224.9 12,971.9 12,556.4 -3.2% 32.6% PMI Manufacturing Index 55.0 54.2 53.5 -1.3% -9.5% Baltic Dry Index (avg.) 3,048.9 2,779.9 2,769.9 -0.4% 52.2% Source: NSE, S&P Global, Trading Economics6. Policy Initiatives/Industry Initiatives The Ministry of Steel launched a monthly webinar series on digitalization in the steel and mining sector, bringing together industry leaders, CPSEs, startups and technology providers to showcase digital solutions, share implementation experiences and discuss emerging opportunities. The first webinar was held on 21 August 2026, marking the beginning of an initiative aimed at accelerating the adoption of digital technologies across the sector. The series is expected to foster collaboration and knowledge sharing, supporting the development of a smarter, more efficient and technology-driven steel and mining industry. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026 has been notified on 17 August 2026. The amendment is expected to strengthen raw material security for the steel sector by improving the investment climate for mining, supporting mine development and enhancing the domestic availability of key minerals, including iron ore. A new milestone has been achieved at NMDC Bacheli, with the 2.0 MTPA Iron Ore Beneficiation Plant commencing trial operations. The plant has successfully completed its first hot trial using iron ore fines for slurry production, marking a key step towards strengthening NMDC’s integrated beneficiation capabilities. MECON and NMDC Steel Limited (NSL) have signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for providing consultancy services for NSL’s upcoming projects. The partnership is expected to support efficient project planning and execution, while facilitating capacity expansion and technological advancement. 7. Green Steel Initiatives Under the Ministry of Steel’s Green Steel Initiative, 98 steel producers across 15 states have received Green Steel Certificates. The certification covers products including TMT bars, HR/CR coils, plates, wire rods and pipes, with most certified products achieving the highest 5-star rating, highlighting the increasing adoption of low-emission steelmaking practices among India’s secondary and mid-sized steel producers. Source: Provisional JPC data for July 2026. Mt = Million Tonnes; Mtpa = Million Tonnes Per Annum; MoM = Month-on-Month; YoY = Year-on-Year; CPLY = Corresponding Period Last Year **** AG (Release ID: 2303018) Visitor Counter : 581Read this release in: Urdu , ही , Gujarati , Tamil