South India Positioned to Power India’s Steel Growth with 46 MnT Capacity, Highlights BigMint Report

HYDERABAD: South India is poised to play an important role in India’s next phase of steel growth, backed by an installed crude steel capacity of 46 million tonnes (MnT) and production of 31 MnT in FY2026. This robust industrial base serves as a strong foundation as India advances toward its ambitious target of 300 MnT steel capacity by 2030, according to findings from BigMint, India’s commodities market intelligence firm.

These insights took center stage at the third edition of the Future.Steel focusing on South conference, organized by BigMint and co-hosted by the Telangana Iron & Steel Manufacturers Association (TISMA) at The Westin in Hyderabad.

Event Collaboration and Participation
The high-profile conference received support from the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) and the Karnataka Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association (KSIMA). Additionally, the National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology (NISST) served as the knowledge partner, while Quesrow Research & Strategy Co. acted as the research partner.

The gathering brought together over 250 participants representing 150 companies across 17 states, alongside more than 30 speakers spanning the entire steel value chain. A key milestone of the inaugural session was the launch of BigMint’s flagship regional market-intelligence report, “The Structural Gap,” which focuses on Telangana’s evolving role in the steel ecosystem and highlights emerging opportunities for regional investment.

Key Insights from Industry Leaders
The inaugural session featured prominent industry executives, including:

Mr. Vivek Nishant Nath, Director (Commercial), NMDC Limited

Mr. G.L. Gupta, Group Chief Procurement Officer, MEIL

Mr. K.K. Maheshwari, President, FTCCI

Mr. Vinod Kumar Agarwal, Vice President of FTCCI, Secretary General of TISMA, and Managing Director of MPL Group

Mr. Prakash Goenka, Managing Director, Devashree Ispat (P) Ltd

Mr. Anurag Agarwal, Executive Director, MS Agarwal Foundries Pvt. Ltd.

Discussions during the session centered on regional investment, policy priorities, raw-material availability, manufacturing opportunities, and South India’s broader role in the expanding national steel ecosystem.

Policy and Costs: Mr. K.K. Maheshwari emphasized the ongoing need for government engagement regarding policy matters and energy costs, which remain critical considerations for steelmakers.

Manufacturing and Logistics: Mr. Vinod Kumar Agarwal highlighted the potential to strengthen South India’s manufacturing base, aided by improved logistics, cleaner technologies, and rising infrastructure demand.

Resource Security: Mr. Vivek Nishant Nath shared the raw-material perspective, underscoring resource availability as a vital factor for sustaining future steel production.

Quality Standards: Mr. Anurag Agarwal stressed the importance of consistent product quality and rigorous process standards to meet the demands of increasingly complex infrastructure projects.

Technical Sessions and Future Outlook
The comprehensive programme explored raw-material security, regional supply and demand dynamics, infrastructure-led consumption, and the implementation of credible domestic price benchmarks for procurement, contract pricing, and settlement.

Dedicated sessions also addressed emerging industry trends such as green-steel certification, energy efficiency, mid-sized integrated steel plants, and AI-led business-process automation. Companies participating in these specialized discussions included JSW Steel, Tata International, Lloyds Metals & Energy, MSPL, Jai Raj Ispat, and Clariant Power System.

Highlighting the importance of the region, Sumit Agrawal, Director at BigMint, stated:

“South India has an important role to play in India’s evolving steel growth story. Better visibility into regional demand, pricing and investment opportunities can help businesses make informed decisions and strengthen the wider value chain.”

By uniting producers, buyers, raw-material suppliers, and technology providers, Future.Steel continues to advance vital dialogue on the opportunities and constraints shaping South India’s industrial landscape as the sector moves toward cleaner, more efficient, and competitive production.

BigMint operates as India’s commodities market intelligence firm, delivering comprehensive price assessments, market data, research, and consulting services across ferrous and non-ferrous metals, scrap recycling, coal and energy, logistics, cement, polymers, and agriculture.