Concrete

Chinese Steel Imports Threaten Local Investments

AMNS CEO raises concerns over rising imports.

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2024

admin

Dilip Oommen, CEO of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel (AMNS) India, has raised alarms over the increasing influx of Chinese steel imports into the Indian market. He warns that this trend could have serious consequences for domestic steelmakers, potentially undermining local investments and slowing down the growth of the Indian steel industry.

Key concerns highlighted by Oommen include:

Impact on Domestic Producers: The surge in cheaper Chinese steel imports is putting pressure on Indian steel manufacturers. These imports, often priced lower due to subsidies and other factors, make it difficult for local producers to compete, potentially leading to reduced profitability and market share.

Investment Deterrent: The influx of imported steel could deter future investments in India’s steel sector. If domestic producers face declining returns due to competition from imports, they may scale back or delay plans for capacity expansion, modernization, and other capital investments.

Economic Implications: The threat to local steel production has broader economic implications. A weakened steel industry could lead to job losses, reduced contributions to GDP, and lower tax revenues for the government. Additionally, it could impact related industries, such as construction and manufacturing, which rely heavily on domestic steel.

Call for Policy Intervention: Oommen is advocating for stronger government intervention to protect the domestic steel industry. This could include imposing tariffs or other trade measures to limit the impact of Chinese imports and create a level playing field for Indian producers.

Quality and Standards: There are also concerns about the quality of imported steel. Ensuring that imported steel meets Indian standards is crucial to maintaining the safety and integrity of infrastructure projects and other applications.

Long-Term Strategy: Oommen emphasizes the need for a long-term strategy to support the domestic steel sector. This includes fostering innovation, improving operational efficiencies, and ensuring that Indian steel remains competitive on the global stage.

Industry Collaboration: Collaboration within the industry, along with government support, is seen as vital to addressing the challenges posed by rising imports. Working together, stakeholders can develop strategies to mitigate risks and sustain the growth of the domestic steel industry.

The rising Chinese steel imports represent a significant challenge for India’s steel sector, which has been a cornerstone of the country’s industrial growth. The call for policy measures and industry collaboration underscores the urgency of addressing these issues to safeguard local investments and ensure the continued development of the steel industry.

Up Next

JSW Cement IPO Targets Rs.4,000 Crore

Don't Miss

CONCOR Plans Strategy for GCT Scheme Risks

Concrete

UltraTech Cement FY26 PAT Crosses Rs 80 bn

Company reports record sales, profit and 200 MTPA capacity milestone

Published

1 day ago

April 29, 2026

admin

UltraTech Cement reported record financial performance for Q4 and FY26, supported by strong volumes, higher profitability and improved cost efficiency. Consolidated net sales for Q4 FY26 rose 12 per cent year-on-year to Rs 254.67 billion, while PBIDT increased 20 per cent to Rs 56.88 billion. PAT, excluding exceptional items, grew 21 per cent to Rs 30.11 billion.

For FY26, consolidated net sales stood at Rs 873.84 billion, up 17 per cent from Rs 749.36 billion in FY25. PBIDT rose 32 per cent to Rs 175.98 billion, while PAT increased 36 per cent to Rs 83.05 billion, crossing the Rs 80 billion mark for the first time.

India grey cement volumes reached 42.41 million tonnes in Q4 FY26, up 9.3 per cent year-on-year, with capacity utilisation at 89 per cent. Full-year India grey cement volumes stood at 145 million tonnes. Energy costs declined 3 per cent, aided by a higher green power mix of 43 per cent in Q4.

The company’s domestic grey cement capacity has crossed 200 MTPA, reaching 200.1 MTPA, while global capacity stands at 205.5 MTPA. UltraTech also recommended a special dividend of Rs 2.40 billion per share value basis equivalent to Rs 240.

Concrete

Towards Mega Batching

Optimised batching can drive overall efficiencies in large projects.

Published

2 days ago

April 28, 2026

admin

India’s pace of infrastructure development is pushing the construction sector to work at a significantly higher scale than previously. Tight deadlines necessitate eliminating concreting delays, especially in large and mega projects, which, in turn, imply installing the right batching plant and ensuring batching is efficient. CW explores these steps as well as the gaps in India’s batching plant market.

Choose well

Large-scale infrastructure and building projects typically involve concrete consumption exceeding 30,000-50,000 cum per annum or demand continuous, high-volume pours within compressed timelines, according to Rahul R Wadhai, DGM – Quality, Tata Projects.

Considering the daily need for concrete, “large-scale concreting involves pouring more than 1,000–2,000 cum per day while mega projects involve more than 3,000 cum per day,” says Satish R Vachhani, Advanced Concrete & Construction Consultant…

To read the full article Click Here

Concrete

Andhra Offers Discom Licences To Private Firms Outside Power Sector

Policy allows firms over 300 MW to seek distribution licences

Published

3 days ago

April 27, 2026

admin

The Andhra Pradesh government will allow private firms that require more than 300 megawatt (MW) of power to apply for distribution licences, making the state the first to extend such licences beyond the power sector. The policy targets information technology, pharmaceuticals, steel and data centres and aims to reduce reliance on state utilities as demand rises for artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Approved applicants will be able to procure electricity directly from generators through power purchase agreements, a change officials said will create more competitive tariffs and reduce supply risk. Licence holders will use the Andhra Pradesh Transmission Company (APTRANSCO) network on payment of charges and will not need a separate distribution network initially.

Licences will be granted under the Electricity Act, 2003 framework, with the Central and State electricity regulators retaining authority over terms and approvals. The recent Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025 sought to lower entry barriers, enable network sharing and encourage competition, while the state commission will set floor and ceiling tariffs where multiple discoms operate.

Industry players and original equipment manufacturers welcomed the policy, saying competitive supply is vital for large data centre investments. Major projects and partnerships such as those involving Adani and Google, Brookfield and Reliance, and Meta and Sify Technologies are expected to benefit as capacity expands in the state.

Analysts noted India’s data centre capacity is forecast to reach 10 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and cited International Energy Agency estimates that global data centre electricity consumption could approach 945 terawatt hours by the same year. A one GW data centre needs an equivalent power allocation and one point five times the water, which authorities equated to 150 billion litres (150 bn litres).

Advisers warned that distribution licences will require close regulation and monitoring to prevent misuse and to ensure tariffs and supply obligations are met. Officials said the policy aims to balance investor requirements with regulatory oversight and could serve as a model for other states.