Govt issues new domestic procurement norms for 49 steel products

06 Jan 2021 Editorial Team

Atmanirbhar Bharat took the next incremental step yesterday, as the government mandated the use of domestically manufactured metal and alloy items. Per this directive, locally made metal products should be preferred in public projects.

Such preference will be accorded to 49 domestically manufactured iron and steel products in public contracts. These products include:

Pipes
Railway coaches
Railway tracks
Containers
Rolling stock
Wires
Tables and household items
Tanks

In essence, this means that project managers need to revise their procurement norms. The norms apply to all central schemes.

The norms will apply to procurement exceeding Rs 5 lakh for local body projects. The government has specified minimum local value addition ranging from 20% to 50%.

“Domestic” will be interpreted on the basis of whether a company is incorporated in India.

Imports are restricted from countries that preclude Indian companies from procurement processes. This could mean a retaliation against countries like China, where Indian companies have complained of unfair treatment. While the World Trade Agreement (WTO) guidelines could see this move as restrictive, India did not sign the public procurement agreement.

Procurement managers, including public ones like the Railways, have previously argued that domestic capacity in steel items is limited. Experts have repeatedly called for domestic capacity augmentation. More immediately, steel prices have been climbing steeply. Some experts say prices will continue to rise for a few months.

Infrastructure Urban

07 Nov 2025

Welspun Enterprises Wins 910 MLD Panjrapur WTP Contract

Welspun Enterprises (WEL), the infrastructure and energy arm of Welspun World, has secured a major contract from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to design, build and operate a 910 million litres per day (MLD) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Panjrapur, Maharashtra.Valued at approximately Rs 31.45 billion, the project encompasses end-to-end civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, including the construction of a treated water sump and pumping station. Of the total value, nearly Rs 11.56 billion is allocated to Operations & Maintenance (O&M), with an additional..

Mitsubishi Power Wins Boiler Upgrade Contract for O Mon 1 Plant

Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, (MHI), has been awarded a contract to support the oil-to-natural-gas fuel conversion at the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant in Can Tho, southern Vietnam. As the OEM of the plant’s existing boiler, Mitsubishi Power will supply key equipment—including new gas burners—and implement a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to reduce NOx emissions and help the plant meet stricter environmental standards.The O Mon 1 facility includes two 330 MW units that commenced operations in 2009 and 2015, with all major equipment or..

Liebherr’s 10,000th XPower Wheel Loader Joins BERGER’s Fleet

BERGER Rohstoffe GmbH has welcomed the 10,000th Liebherr XPower wheel loader to its operations at the Schlag granite quarry in Passau. The milestone machine, officially handed over at Liebherr’s Bischofshofen plant in May 2025, underscores the long-standing partnership between BERGER, Liebherr, and the Beutlhauser Group. Equipped with Liebherr’s signature power-split travel drive, the new L 580 XPower is already delivering strong results under demanding quarry conditions.At the Schlag quarry, BERGER Rohstoffe processes approximately 200,000 tonnes of Bayerwald granite annually into high-qu..