In September 2026, crude steel production stood at 14.1 Mt, up 3.4% from 13.7 Mt in September 2025. Finished steel production increased 1.9% year-on-year to 13.5 Mt, while hot metal production remained broadly stable at 7.9 Mt.
The top seven steel producers accounted for 47.7 Mt of crude steel production during April-September 2026, against annual crude steel capacity of 117.4 Mt. The remaining producers contributed 37.4 Mt. The public sector accounted for 13.9% of crude steel production during the period.
Steel prices increased sharply in September. The average price of 10 mm TMT bars rose 12.6% month-on-month to Rs 65,298 per tonne and was 21% higher year-on-year. Hot-rolled (HR) coil prices increased 8% month-on-month to Rs 76,085 per tonne, while cold-rolled (CR) coil prices rose 11.1% to Rs 84,972 per tonne. Galvanised plain (GP) sheet prices increased 8.6% to Rs 94,148 per tonne.
Finished steel consumption rose 7.5% year-on-year to 84.9 Mt during April-September 2026. In September alone, finished steel consumption increased 8% to 14.4 Mt from 13.3 Mt in September 2025, indicating continued demand growth in the domestic market.
India remained a net importer of finished steel in terms of quantity during April-September 2026. Finished steel imports increased 23.8% year-on-year to 4.14 Mt, while the value of imports rose 40% to Rs 43,690.1 crore. Finished steel exports increased 26.2% to 3.55 Mt during the period, with export value rising 28.9% to Rs 28,263.7 crore.
In September 2026, finished steel imports stood at 654,400 tonnes, up 0.4% year-on-year, while exports declined 3.8% to 561,800 tonnes.
Among key raw materials, NMDC Baila lump iron ore prices increased 2.9% month-on-month to Rs 5,400 per tonne in September. Baila fines remained unchanged at Rs 4,500 per tonne, while MOIL manganese ore prices remained at Rs 17,603 per tonne. HMS II scrap prices increased 9.6% month-on-month to Rs 43,810 per tonne.
The Nifty Metal Index averaged 13,053.7 in September, down 1% from August but up 32.7% year-on-year. The PMI Manufacturing Index increased 4.4% month-on-month to 55.1, while the Baltic Dry Index rose 15.5% to an average of 3,407.7.
The Ministry of Steel has decided to establish a Steel Industry Safety Council (SISC), an apex body chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Steel, to strengthen safety standards, accident prevention and safety practices across the steel industry. A dedicated Steel Industry Safety Directorate will support the council through safety audits, serious incident investigations and development of safety standards suited to Indian conditions.
NMDC commissioned its 2 MTPA pellet plant at Nagarnar in Chhattisgarh as part of its Rs 5,427 crore integrated project. The project includes an iron ore processing plant at Bacheli, a 135-km slurry pipeline with 15 MTPA capacity and the Nagarnar pellet plant, which uses Straight Grate Induration technology. The project is expected to enable value addition from Bailadila iron ore fines and slimes, reduce road transportation of ore and strengthen NMDC’s presence across the iron ore value chain.
NMDC’s iron ore production increased 8% year-on-year to 4.04 Mt in September 2026. Its production during the first half of FY 2026-27 reached 27.3 Mt, an increase of nearly 23% over the corresponding period of FY 2025-26.
SAIL and Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) signed a memorandum of understanding for the joint development and operation of SAIL’s Indikatta Ramnagore Coal Block and BCCL’s East of Damagoria (Kalyaneshwari) Coal Block in West Bengal. The partnership is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two central public sector enterprises and supporting the development of domestic coking coal resources.
SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant also commissioned an in-house artificial intelligence-based safety surveillance system at Hot Strip Mill-2. The system uses 10 IP cameras and computer vision technology to detect helmet violations and trigger automated alarms. It also records time-stamped events, with future phases planned to cover other personal protective equipment violations, unsafe acts, fires and other hazards.
Under the Ministry of Steel’s Green Steel Initiative, 101 distinct steel producers had been issued Green Steel Certificates through September 2026. The certification covers TMT bars, HR and CR coils, plates, wire rods, pipes and other steel products. A large majority of certified products have received five-star ratings, reflecting the adoption of lower-emission steelmaking practices across the industry.
Jadavpur University, in collaboration with SAIL, Damodar Valley Corporation and Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited, is setting up an Rs 8.18 crore Centre of Excellence for green hydrogen research. The centre is one of four approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. SAIL will test and apply the technologies developed at its facilities, supporting the use of green hydrogen in steel, power and fertiliser production under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.
