Union Steel Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday announced a major expansion plan for the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) of Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), outlining a proposal to double its capacity to 9.8 million tonnes per annum.

The announcement came a day after the Minister inaugurated a modern steelmaking facility at RSP. He emphasised that the project would play a crucial role in boosting the region’s socio-economic development and strengthening India’s overall steel production capability.

In a statement, Mr Kumaraswamy confirmed that the Centre is committed to supporting the expansion, which forms part of a broader effort to enhance national steel capacity in line with long-term industrial goals.