Mr Vishnu Deo Sai, minister of State for Mines, Steel, Labour and Employment, said that with the huge targets set by the steel industry and the scale that India has already achieved, it had become necessary to operationalize a national level institute dedicated for Indian steel industry.

Addressing the launch function of India Steel Expo 2015, to be held from April 16-18, 2014 in Mumbai, Mr Deo Sai said that “This institute should act as a nodal learning and knowledge dissemination point for enhancing skill development, technology enhancement, research and development and other technical efficiencies for the Indian steel manufacturers. The proposed institute should have expert guidance from existing national level institutes such as IITs, IIMs and others. This institute should also be capable of guiding the domestic manufacturers on foreign collaborations.”

He said that “Such a landmark show is not only going to put India among the top nations in terms of holding such conferences and exhibitions, but would also showcase Indian steel industry among the best in the world. I am sure that this event would start getting recognized as parallel to the best trade shows on steel industry across the globe.”

The show will provide a platform to the stakeholders, which would help in ushering a new era in Indian steel industry’s growth path; not only in terms of production but also around technology deployment and supply chain management.

He added that “We have been talking about 300 million tonne per annum target for production by 2025. Though there are many constituents in the ecosystem that doubt the achievement of the same, we however firmly believe that if we channelize our energies into the right direction, the target is very much achievable. For the achievement of such huge targets, it is necessary that all the stakeholders join hands and rise above the internal conflicts to work as one unit and head strongly towards the goal. I recommend formation of a taskforce, comprising representatives from each sphere of the Indian steel industry (be it public or private producer, raw material supplier, technology provider or a logistics firm); all need to work in tandem and in collaboration so that the vision can be turned into a reality and the Indian steel industry becomes a force to reckon with.”

Mr Syedain Abbasi, joint secretary, Ministry of Steel, said that “India is one of the most competitive producers of steel and is one of the fastest growing steel markets. Besides, the country is now in the process of getting cutting-edge technology for kits industries. These will be the main highlights of the steel expo next year.”

Mr Abbasi said that “India, at present, produces steel well below the world average and to improve the scenario it is essential that the country’s economy grows at a faster rate. When an economy is growing then the production and consumption of steel also experiences unprecedented growth. To achieve the target of producing steel, Prime Minister’s Mr Narendra Modi vision and his call for ‘Make in India’ will be instrumental. During the last few months, many roadblocks have been removed by the new government and the sector is likely to gain a new momentum.”

Mr SK Roongta chairman, FICCI Steel and Non-Ferrous Metals Committee, said that “Steel forms the basic pillar for any country’s national development. However, in the case of emerging countries like India it assumes a far greater importance; for all the other sectors like infrastructure, construction, consumer durables and automotive are dependent on the steel production for their inputs. It is critical that the industry get its due importance in the years ahead if India has to be counted among the developed nations of the world.”