Despite the second wave of the pandemic, Indian steel production registered a growth of 20 percent in the first eight months (April-November) of the fiscal year 2021-22 to 76.44 million mt, a statement issued by the ministry of steel said on Thursday, December 29.
The statement said that the ministry has set up a Joint Working Group (JWG) to increase domestic steel consumption, particularly with a focus on increasing rural demand.
The JWG has been set up following joint consultations with domestic steel companies and large user industries, the statement said.
Government-run steel producers Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) have been directed to expand their rural distribution network to bring producers closer to customers and increase demand in the rural belt of the country, the statement said.