BSP breaks record with 315 consecutive heats of rail steel casting

06 Feb 2024 CW Team

The Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), a unit of the state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) based in Chhattisgarh, achieved a national record for the consecutive casting of heats of rail steel in any caster, just one day before its foundation day.

A remarkable total of 315 heats were continuously cast from the bloom caster, establishing a new milestone for the longest sequence length in any caster in India, as announced by a spokesperson from BSP. The previous record of 309 heats was held by SAIL?s Rourkela Steel Plant.

The accomplishment took place at BSP's Steel Melting Shop 2, where cast blooms are produced from bloom casters and subsequently rolled into rails at the Rail and Structural Mill. SAIL-BSP serves as the primary supplier of world-class rails for Indian railways, with lengths reaching up to 260 meters.

The achievement was a collaborative effort, with various departments such as instrumentation, PPC, RED, BF, WMD, T&D, and RCL, in addition to SMS-II collective, contributing to the success.

Notably, SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant has played a significant role in national infrastructure and defense projects. The plant supplied approximately 15,900 tonnes of steel for the recently inaugurated Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, India?s longest sea bridge. Out of the 16,300 tonnes supplied by SAIL, BSP contributed 15,883 tonnes, comprising 13,803 tonnes of the desired grade and dimension of TMT bars and 2,079 tonnes of the desired grade of steel plates for construction from 2019 to 2023.

Infrastructure Urban

18 Sep 2025

SBI Sells 13.18% Stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s SMBC

State Bank of India (SBI) has completed the sale of a 13.18 per cent stake in Yes Bank to Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for over Rs 8,889 crore. The divestment is part of a Rs 13,482 crore deal finalised in May with SMBC and seven private banks.Following the transaction, SBI’s shareholding in Yes Bank stands at 10.8 per cent. The deal, involving 4,134.4 million shares at Rs 21.50 each, is the largest cross-border transaction in the Indian banking sector.SBI Chairman C S Setty described the 2020 RBI-led rescue of Yes Bank as a pioneering public-private partnership, addi..

Thales Signs 11-Year Avionics Support Deal with IndiGo

French technology group Thales has signed an 11-year avionics maintenance support contract with IndiGo, India’s largest airline, for its Airbus A320 family fleet. The deal extends to over 1,200 aircraft, including the 800-plus planes scheduled for future delivery.The agreement includes Thales’ ‘By the Hour’ and ‘Repair by the Hour’ programmes, with repairs to be carried out at its maintenance facility in Gurugram. Additionally, IndiGo has extended by five years its deal with AvioBook, a Thales subsidiary, for Electronic Flight Bag solutions.The paperless AvioBook Flight system, alr..

US Tariffs Threaten 8% of India’s Auto Component Output

High US tariffs are likely to impact nearly 8 per cent of India’s total auto component production, ratings firm ICRA has cautioned. The move follows Washington’s decision to impose 50 per cent duties on Indian goods, placing exporters at a clear disadvantage compared to competitors in Asia.China, Japan, Vietnam and Indonesia face lower tariffs in the 15–30 per cent range, while Mexico and Canada enjoy exemptions under the USMCA agreement. Analysts stress the urgency of an India-US trade agreement to safeguard the sector.Exports of Indian auto components to the US have risen consistently,..