India's steel sector moves towards self-reliance.

India's steel sector is moving toward self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) by strengthening its position as the world's second-largest steel manufacturer, with crude steel production expected to reach 168.4 million tonnes (MT) in fiscal year 2025-26. Driven by strong domestic demand (163.7 MT consumption) and regulatory backing, the sector is increasing capacity growth, developing specialty steel, and implementing green technology to create a sustainable, import-reduced ecosystem.

Key Drivers of Self-Reliance in 2026:

• Production Growth: The sector's crude steel production grew at a ~9% CAGR from 2021-22 to 2025-26, with the goal of reaching 500 MT capacity by 2047.
• Import Reduction and Export Growth: In March 2026, imports fell by 9.5% while exports increased by 29.1%, indicating less reliance on foreign supply.
• Policy and Investment Support: The output Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for specialty steel attracted ₹23,022 crore in investment, increasing high-quality steel output.
• Raw Material Security: Mission Coking Coal (started in 2024) intends to expand domestic production to 140 MT by FY 2029-30, reducing reliance on imports.
• Quality Control Orders (QCOs): More than 140 QCOs (by December 2025) ensure that only high-quality, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-compliant steel is utilized, limiting substandard imports.
• Green Steel Initiatives: India is leading in sustainability by developing a Green Steel Taxonomy (2024) to minimize carbon emissions, with the goal of reaching net zero by 2070.

The industry's growth is broad-based, with large increases in hot metal (7.3%) and sponge iron (9.1%) output, solidifying its position as a critical pillar of India's infrastructure and industrial development.