India Urges Steel Mills to Ramp Up Exports to Tanzania

In a bid to strengthen economic ties between India and Tanzania, the Indian Mission in Tanzania has called upon Indian steel mills to explore the potential of increasing exports to the African nation. Currently, the Tanzanian market is dominated by steel imports from China, South Africa, and Japan. However, Indian steel offerings, which are already in high demand, could pose a strong competition.

The Union Steel Ministry of India is considering measures to promote Indian steel products in Tanzania, aiming to carve a larger market share in the country. Recognizing the lucrative opportunities available, the ministry seeks to challenge the dominance of China, South Africa, and Japan in the Tanzanian steel market.

To facilitate this endeavor, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, the High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, has put forth a proposal to dispatch a business delegation by the end of this year. The delegation's primary objective would be to organize a buyer-seller meeting, providing a platform for Indian steel mills and Tanzanian businesses interested in procuring steel from India.

With an eye on expanding trade and boosting Indian steel exports to Tanzania, this initiative holds great potential for both countries. Indian steel mills stand to gain a larger foothold in the Tanzanian market, while Tanzania can benefit from enhanced economic cooperation with India.

This move comes at a time when India is also aiming to establish itself as a global green steel manufacturing hub. The country's efforts towards decarbonizing the steel sector are expected to pay off in terms of sustainability and environmental impact. By offering greener steel products, India hopes to strengthen its position as a reliable and responsible steel exporter on the global stage.

As the proposed business delegation gears up for its visit later this year, all eyes are on the outcomes of the buyer-seller meeting. The success of this initiative could mark a significant milestone in the bilateral trade relations between India and Tanzania, opening doors to greater collaboration and economic prosperity for both nations.

India's Mineral Production Witnesses 6.8% Surge in March

The mining and quarrying sector experienced a notable upswing in mineral production, according to the latest data released by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM). The index of mineral production for the month of March 2023, with the base year set at 2011-12, stands at 154.2, representing a significant 6.8% increase compared to March 2022. Moreover, the provisional data reveals a cumulative growth of 5.8% for the period of April 2022 to March 2023, when compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Key mineral production levels for March 2023 are as follows: Coal reached 1,078 lakh tonnes, Lignite stood at 46 lakh tonnes, Natural gas utilization reached 2,890 million cubic meters, Crude petroleum reached 25 lakh tonnes, Bauxite production amounted to 2,115 thousand tonnes, Chromite reached 555 thousand tonnes, Copper concentrate stood at 12 thousand tonnes, Gold production reached 161 kilograms, Iron ore amounted to 281 lakh tonnes, Lead concentrate reached 42 thousand tonnes, Manganese ore amounted to 311 thousand tonnes, Zinc concentrate stood at 181 thousand tonnes, Limestone production reached 402 lakh tonnes, Phosphorite amounted to 220 thousand tonnes, Magnesite stood at 11 thousand tonnes, and Diamond production amounted to 3 carats.

Several important minerals demonstrated positive growth in March 2023 when compared to March 2022. Notable increases were observed in Copper concentrate production (41.9%), Chromite (34%), Phosphorite (32.8%), Manganese ore (13.6%), Coal (12.5%), Limestone (7.6%), Lead concentrate (6.3%), Iron ore (4.7%), Bauxite (3.6%), and Natural gas utilization (2.7%). This growth trend indicates a positive trajectory for the mining and quarrying sector in the country.

Centre proposes to develop next 10 years R&D roadmap for iron and steel sector

On May 11, 2023, a brainstorming session was convened in the Ministry of Steel, presided over by Shri N. N. Sinha, Secretary of Steel, to develop a thorough medium-term R&D roadmap and action plan for the iron and steel sector for the ensuing ten years. Participants in the meeting included representatives from the steel industry, academics, research facilities, design and engineering firms, as well as other relevant Ministries/Departments including DST, DSIR, DRDO, etc. Dr. Indranil Chattoraj, a former director of the National Metallurgical Laboratory (CSIR-NML) in Jamshedpur, and Smt. Ruchika Chaudhary Govil, an additional secretary for the Ministry of Steel, moderated the conversations.

Discussions about the requirements for R&D efforts that can be undertaken on a single platform for the long-term sustainable development of the Indian Steel Sector got the meeting started. Iron ore and coal beneficiation, carbon capture and utilisation, steel slag utilisation, decarbonization technologies, the use of bio-char to replace coke/coal in some areas of iron and steel making, as well as R&D to address challenges and issues specific to the secondary steel sector, were among the thrust areas identified for research. To address the R&D requirements of the iron and steel industry, discussions were held to determine ways and means for enhancing the link between industry, research labs, and academia.

Following that, discussions were held about how to make sure that the intellectual property created through research and development is accessible to the entire steel industry in India, as well as how to translate this IP into the creation of actual processes and the machineries and plants that go along with them. The necessity for, sources of, and institutional development required for carrying out such R&D initiatives were also covered.

Several integrated steel plants and steel CPSEs stepped up to provide their facilities for the sector as a whole. The discussion's overarching subject was to put the limited national R&D resources to the best use in order to quickly address national priorities and to assume technological leadership in many fields related to iron and steel.

While appreciating stakeholders for their significant comments that have set the tone for future discussions on the topic, Secretary (Steel) highlighted that specific inputs will be sought from them in the future for establishing the roadmap/ R&D programmes to be carried out on priority. Based on the identified R&D projects and their costs, the Ministry of Steel will identify and enable financing sources as well as the ecosystem needed to carry out the activities.