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Steel Industry Seeks Stronger Action to Curb Rising Imports

Producers urge policy steps as imports surge, hurting domestic utilisation

Published

1 month ago

November 4, 2025

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India’s steel producers have called for stronger government intervention to curb rising steel imports, particularly from China, which produced 746.3 million tonnes (MT) of crude steel between January and September 2025 — over six times India’s output.

According to the World Steel Association, India produced 122.4 MT during the same period. In September alone, China’s production of 73.5 MT was more than fivefold India’s 13.6 MT.

The stainless steel sector continues to face pressure from imports, operating at just 60 per cent of its 7.5 MT installed capacity. Industry representatives warned that unless measures are strengthened, domestic utilisation and investment plans could suffer.

Over the past few years, the Ministry of Steel has introduced over 100 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) to prevent non-BIS-compliant steel products from entering the Indian market. The June 2025 QCO even imposed restrictions on importing certain steel inputs.

“The validity of QCOs can be extended to prevent sub-standard and cheap material from entering the country,” said an industry executive, calling for further protective measures aligned with the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat vision.

In March 2025, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) recommended a 12 per cent provisional safeguard duty for 200 days on select steel products to counter a surge in imports. However, the stainless steel industry later sought a broader probe, as its concerns were not fully covered by the duty.

A high-level committee of NITI Aayog is expected to meet steel industry leaders next week to discuss the issue, sources indicated.

Data from BigMint show that domestic steel prices fell to a five-year low in October due to higher import inflows. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also flagged the rise in imports — largely driven by lower prices — and called for policy support to strengthen domestic competitiveness.

India imported 0.79 MT of finished steel in September 2025, up from 0.69 MT in August, marking the sixth consecutive month as a net steel importer. Imports from Korea, Russia, and Indonesia rose, while those from China, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, and Taiwan declined year-on-year.

During the first half of FY26, inbound shipments exceeded exports by 0.47 MT despite a 40 per cent rise in export volumes to 4.43 MT, underscoring the growing import imbalance faced by the domestic steel industry.

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Interior Wall Primer vs Exterior Primer: What’s the Difference

Choosing the right wall primer is essential for long-lasting paint and flawless finishes.

Published

2 days ago

December 16, 2025

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After years of moving from one rented apartment to another, Vikrant and Pooja finally moved into their own home. It was a dream they had waited for since their first job together. They had lived with all kinds of walls. Some were patchy and damp, while others had paint that peeled at the corners and refused to stay. This time, they had a choice to decorate their home exactly the way they wanted. From colour palettes to finishes, every decision mattered.

When their painter suggested using a wall primer before painting, they were curious. Wasn’t paint enough? Why an extra coat underneath? That’s when they learned that a primer is not just an extra layer; it is what decides how long your paint lasts and how beautiful your walls look.

Why a wall primer matters

A wall primer paint is the first coat applied before the actual paint. It prepares the surface, covers minor imperfections, and ensures that the paint adheres properly. Without it, walls absorb paint unevenly, making the colour look patchy and dull.

It creates the perfect base, so the paint looks rich, smooth, and even. Primer also helps paint stick better, making your walls last longer between repaints. Whether you are painting the inside or outside of your home, the primer is the foundation of a flawless finish.

Interior wall primer: For smoothness and lasting finish

Inside your home, the walls face a different kind of challenge. They deal with dust, humidity, cooking fumes, and daily wear and tear. An interior wall primer is designed to handle these exact conditions.

The Birla White ActivCoat Interior Primer offers the perfect base for all interior paints. It smoothens the surface and seals porous areas, ensuring your paint spreads evenly and adheres better. With excellent coverage and opacity, it reduces paint consumption while enhancing brightness. Every shade will look more vibrant and last much longer.

Powered by Birla White’s superior white cement base, this primer forms a strong, smooth, and bright undercoat that enhances the true colour of your paint. It ensures long-lasting adhesion, minimizes peeling, and delivers a flawless finish that makes every wall look refined and beautiful for years.

Exterior wall primer: Built for durability

Step outside, and your walls face an entirely different test. The exterior walls face harsh sunlight, rain, dust, and pollution. Ordinary paint alone cannot stand up to such exposure. You need an exterior wall primer that offers strength, protection, and durability.

Formulated with Birla White’s white cement technology, the ActivCoat Exterior Primer offers superior opacity and whiteness, creating a bright, uniform base that enhances the appearance of your topcoat. It bonds strongly with cement plaster, POP, putty, and gypsum surfaces. This primer ensures excellent adhesion and a smooth, consistent finish.

ActivCoat primer not only improves the topcoat’s performance but also reduces overall paint consumption by increasing coverage and brightness. Its high opacity ensures that colours appear richer and more vibrant, even after exposure to sunlight and outdoor conditions.

Interior vs exterior primer: The key differences

While both primers serve the same purpose, preparing your walls, they are built for different needs. The interior wall primer focuses on smoothness, brightness, and easy application. The exterior wall primer focuses on protection, endurance, and weather resistance.

Feature	Interior Wall Primer	Exterior Wall Primer
Purpose	Smooth base and enhanced finish	Long-lasting outdoor protection
Finish	Smooth and bright	Tough and durable
Best for	Bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens	Exterior walls, balconies, facades

Using the right primer ensures that your wall paint performs the way it’s meant to. Birla White ActivCoat keeps your walls bright inside and strong outside.

What happens when you skip primer

Skipping primer may save you a few hours, but it shortens the life of your paint. Without a primer, walls absorb paint unevenly. The colour fades faster and the surface starts peeling or cracking. You will end up repainting much sooner than expected. A wall primer paint ensures that every layer of paint adheres properly. In short, a primer saves both time and money while giving your walls a professional and long-lasting finish.

For Vikrant and Pooja, the learning was simple; a good paint job starts with the right base. Their interior wall primer gave their rooms a bright and polished finish. Their exterior wall primer protected their home against moisture and sunlight. Today, when they step into their living room, they see walls that look just as fresh as day one. Their dream home finally feels complete. It is strong on the outside and beautiful on the inside.

For more information, visit www.birlawhite.com

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Enlight Metals Enters Chemical Trading With New Subsidiary

Enlight TradeHub expands multi-commodity supply offering

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2025

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Enlight Metals Pvt. Ltd., an AI-driven metal aggregator, has expanded into the chemical trading market with the launch of its new subsidiary, Enlight TradeHub Pvt. Ltd. The move represents a strategic step towards building a diversified, multi-commodity supply platform serving industrial businesses across India and Asia.

The new division will trade industrial-grade chemicals, including solvents, acids and speciality intermediates, catering to sectors such as petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and agriculture. Operations began in the third quarter of 2025, with the business now scaling nationwide by leveraging Enlight Metals’ existing procurement capabilities and logistics network. The company also plans to enter regional export markets in the near term.

Enlight TradeHub has been designed to operate in close integration with the company’s core metal aggregation business, enabling customers to source a wider range of raw materials through a unified procurement ecosystem. By sharing logistics infrastructure and serving a common customer base, the company expects to achieve greater operational efficiency and unlock cross-selling opportunities.

Commenting on the expansion, Vedant Goel, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Enlight Metals, said the launch of Enlight TradeHub strengthens the company’s commitment to creating a technology-enabled supply ecosystem for industrial India. He added that enterprises increasingly seek reliable, transparent and consolidated access to essential raw materials, and the new division allows Enlight Metals to meet these expectations with improved scale and responsiveness.

Sustainability is a central focus for the chemicals business. Enlight TradeHub is prioritising low-emission feedstocks and bio-based alternatives, and is developing a green product line that will include recyclable industrial cleaners, scheduled for launch by mid-2026. The company is also advancing initiatives aimed at waste reduction and the development of circular supply chains.

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Lloyds Metals, Tata Steel Sign MoU For Strategic Partnership

Firms explore mining, logistics and low-carbon steel opportunities

Published

3 days ago

December 15, 2025

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Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited has entered into a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Tata Steel Limited to explore a strategic partnership across raw material mining, logistics, pellet production and steelmaking. The MoU was signed by B Prabhakaran, Managing Director of Lloyds Metals, and T V Narendran, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Steel.

The proposed partnership seeks to leverage operational synergies between the two companies and establish a framework to evaluate cooperation across multiple segments of the steel value chain. These include greenfield steelmaking projects, iron ore mining, slurry pipeline infrastructure, pellet manufacturing in iron ore-rich states, direct reduced iron production, and the export of value-added, low-carbon iron and steel products. The collaboration aims to combine the complementary strengths of both companies to support sustainable and efficient growth in India’s domestic steel sector.

Under the MoU, Lloyds Metals and Tata Steel will explore opportunities in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, including cooperation in operating mining concessions and associated infrastructure to increase iron ore output and strengthen the region’s development as an emerging steel hub. The companies will also assess the potential for Tata Steel to participate strategically in integrated steel projects currently being developed by Lloyds Metals.

All initiatives outlined in the MoU are subject to detailed evaluation, due diligence, and the receipt of necessary internal and regulatory approvals.

Separately, Tata Steel has acquired a 50.01 per cent stake in Brahmani River Pellet Limited, becoming a co-owner of the company. The asset includes a 4 million tonnes per annum pellet plant in Jajpur, Odisha, along with a 212-kilometre slurry pipeline connected to a beneficiation plant at Barbil.

Tata Steel is among the world’s oldest steel producers, with a crude steelmaking capacity of 35 million tonnes per annum, ranking it as the eighth-largest steel company globally. The company operates integrated steelmaking facilities and offers a diversified portfolio of value-added and branded steel products.

Lloyds Metals is a leading mining and metals player in Maharashtra and currently operates the country’s largest iron ore mine in Gadchiroli. In addition to producing high-quality direct reduced iron, pellets and iron ore, the company is expanding into integrated steel manufacturing, positioning Gadchiroli as a key emerging steel hub in India.