As a follow-up to making use of domestic steel mandatory in government projects, India’s Ministry of Steel will prepare a list of steel products including specifications for such mandatory usage, a senior government official said on Monday, February 27.
The official said that a detailed listing of products and specifications is necessary to ensure that steel products on which India is heavily import-dependant are not impacted by the mandatory usage policy.
Citing examples, he said that India is still a net importer of high-end stainless steel and several grades of alloy steel for high-end use and has no domestic production of cold rolled grain-oriented (CRGO) steel, and a list of products and specifications will ensure that key import-dependent products like the latter are not impacted by the mandatory usage policy.
The list will provide a “ready reckoner” for procurement of steel products by various government agencies while implementing major projects requiring steel products, the government official said.
He also said that no new legislation will be required to implement the mandatory steel usage policy and that it will be fine-tuned within the provisions of the Public Procurement Bill 2015 currently awaiting parliamentary approval.