Union Steel Minister HD Kumaraswamy urged the steel industry to embrace emerging technologies to remain globally competitive and boost productivity at Chintan Shivir 2026 convened by the Ministry of Steel in the national capital. He said the future of the sector would depend not only on production capacity but on intelligent ecosystems that link public and private participants. The minister identified artificial intelligence, machine learning, industrial internet of things, digital twins, robotics and advanced data analytics as technologies reshaping steel manufacturing.

Adoption of these technologies was said to deliver gains in throughput and operational efficiency while aiding decarbonisation and export competitiveness. Digitalisation and automation enable predictive maintenance that identifies equipment faults before failure and reduces unplanned downtime. Automation also lowers human error and enhances workplace safety in plants.

The government is aiming for 300 million tonne (mn t) steel capacity by 2030 and 400 mn t by 2035, driven by domestic fundamentals. Large scale infrastructure, manufacturing growth under Make in India, renewable energy expansion and rapid urbanisation were cited as demand drivers. The outlook was described as promising but dependent on securing raw materials and modernising operations.

The minister characterised digitalisation as a foundational cornerstone for long term survival and growth of the sector. He emphasised that technology must be customised and integrated to plant level needs and value chains. The steel secretary said the tools and solutions exist and that implementation and adaptation are now the primary tasks for industry.

Policy support and private investment will be required to scale pilot projects into full deployments and to build workforce capability for intelligent systems. Wider data driven models can support export competitiveness while helping meet sustainability commitments. Stakeholders were urged to prioritise adoption, integration and skill development so that the sector captures productivity and safety gains offered by digitalisation.