Govt urges steel makers to provide relief to MSME sector

13 Dec 2021 CW Team

The government has urged steel producers to investigate the possibility of providing relief to the MSME sector by reviewing the high prices of benchmark hot-rolled coil.

On Thursday, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal met with steel industry stakeholders and emphasised the importance of a more convenient and cost-effective supply of steel to small businesses that use steel as an input for manufacturing components and other engineering products.

Almost all of India's major steel producers have increased the price of the benchmark hot-rolled coil by up to Rs 3,500 per tonne. The steel industry claims that fuel costs have increased by more than 70% compared to last year and that a drop in iron ore prices is insufficient to offset the increase.

The steel industry defended the price hike by claiming that global coking coal prices have reached all-time highs, with Australian premium coking coal prices jumping to around $430 per tonne on freight-on-board levels in November, compared to $110-120 per tonne in April 2021.

The recent coal shortage caused by an unexpected surge in demand didn't help matters, as state-owned Coal India Ltd was forced to prioritise coal supply for the power sector.

However, after Goyal urged industry players to consider assisting the MSME sector, steel industry stakeholders expressed a desire to find cost-effective solutions to their problems, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Faced with rising input costs, the All India Council of Associations (AICA) of MSMEs, which represents 170 MSME sector associations, petitioned the government to allow the import of all steel materials based on cost and quality criteria.

In June of this year, as the country began to emerge from the grips of the second pandemic wave, AICA urged the government to prohibit the export of iron ore and steel products.

Image Source

Infrastructure Energy

14 Oct 2025

Mizoram To Build Rs 139 Billion Pumped Storage Power Plant

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Friday announced plans to construct a 2,400 MW pumped storage hydroelectric power plant in Hnahthial district, marking a major step towards achieving energy self-sufficiency in the state. Addressing the Mizo Students’ Union general conference in Hnahthial town, the Chief Minister said the plant would be developed across the Darzo Nallah, a tributary of the Tuipui river. Once operational, the project is expected to play a pivotal role in meeting Mizoram’s rising electricity demand and reducing dependence on imported power. Officials from the State Power..

Centre Plans Nationwide Opening Of Power Retail Market

India is preparing to open up its retail electricity market to private companies nationwide, effectively ending the long-standing monopoly of state-run power distributors in most regions, according to a draft bill released by the Union Power Ministry on Friday. The move will enable major private sector players — including Adani Enterprises, Tata Power, Torrent Power, and CESC — to expand their presence across the country’s electricity distribution landscape. A similar reform attempt in 2022 had faced strong opposition from state-run distribution companies (discoms), which currently dom..

CEA Sets 100 GW Nuclear Target For India By 2047

In a landmark step marking its 52nd Foundation Day, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) unveiled an ambitious roadmap to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear power capacity by 2047, aligning with India’s long-term Net-Zero commitment and energy security objectives. The event, held at the Central Water Commission auditorium in New Delhi’s R.K. Puram, was attended by Pankaj Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Power, who served as the Chief Guest. The roadmap sets out a detailed plan to expand India’s nuclear capacity from its current level of approximately 8,180 MW as of early 2025, outl..