India imported 4.26 MT finished steel in April- November 2023 and the import may touch 6 MT mark in the current fiscal mainly on account of strong domestic demand, according to a report by Crisil.
The report comes at a time when steel players are registering strong concerns of surging imports. Global steel demand, which has been subdued since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, is expected to grow 1.6 per cent in 2023, after a sharp fall of 3.3 per cent in 2022, the global analytics company said. The tepid rate of growth rides largely on a buoyant 13 per cent growth in demand in India, which has bucked the trend so far, Crisil said.
This fiscal, the steel sector in India is poised to clock its third consecutive year of double-digit growth at 11-13 per cent after growing 11.4 per cent and 13.4 per cent in fiscals 2022 and 2023, respectively. “Strong domestic demand, supported by government spending on infrastructure, building and construction segments, is expected to keep India’s steel imports elevated around the 6 MT (million tonne) mark this fiscal even as the global steel industry battles a slowdown,” Crisil said.
