Lok Sabha Question No. 1640 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-08
Subject: Consumption of Steel
Ministry: STEEL
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale, Chandra Sekhar Sahu, Girish Bhalchandra Bapat, Pritam Gopinath Munde

THE MINISTER OF STEEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STEEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1640

FOR ANSWER ON 08/12/2021

## CONSUMPTION OF STEEL

1640.  SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE: SHRI CHANDRA SEKHAR SAHU: SHRI GIRISH BHALCHANDRA BAPAT: DR. PRITAM GOPINATHRAO MUNDE:

Will the Minister of STEEL be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of per capita consumption of steel in rural as well as in urban India as compared to national average during each of the last three years;
- (b) whether  the  Central  Government  proposes  any  action  plan  to  increase  the consumption of steel in rural parts of the country and bring some policies in this regard; and
- (c) whether the Government proposes any action plan to move towards Green Steel or low carbon steel manufacturing and make India as a Manufacturing Hub and if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER

(SHRI RAM CHANDRA PRASAD SINGH)

- (a) Details of  rural, urban and overall per capita consumption of finished steel during last three years are given below: -

## Per capita consumption of finished steel in India

| Year                     | Quantity (in kg)         | Quantity (in kg)         | Quantity (in kg)         |
|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|--------------------------|
| Year                     | Rural                    | Urban(e)                 | Overall                  |
| 2018-19                  | 19.1                     | 182                      | 74.4                     |
| 2019-20                  | 20.3                     | 185                      | 74.7                     |
| 2020-21                  | 21.5                     | 170                      | 70.0                     |
| 2021-22(April-Nov.)      | 22.8                     | 176                      | 72.3                     |
| Source: JPC; e=estimated | Source: JPC; e=estimated | Source: JPC; e=estimated | Source: JPC; e=estimated |

- (b) Ministry  of  Steel  has  taken  measures  to  enhance  steel  demand  usage  in  the country,  especially  in  the  rural  areas  and  is  actively  working  with  Ministry  of  Rural Development. Webinars have been held with the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare with an aim towards increasing awareness on steel  usage  and  benefits  of  using  steel  goods  such  as:  Steel  intensive  structures  in Community/Common  Facility  Areas,  Water  Storage  facilities,  Grain  Storage  Silos, Household water storage drums etc. A Joint Working Group (JWG) has been constituted for  developing  standardized  design  and  layouts  of  housing  configurations  with  steel structure with estimated cost, as adopted in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-U and PMAY-G) houses. Steel CPSEs viz. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Rastriya Ispat  Nigam  Limited  (RINL)  have  appointed  rural  dealers  and  also  engage  in  various promotional activities specifically aiming towards educating rural India on advantages of using steel.

(c) Indian Iron and Steel sector is a deregulated sector. Steel companies take their own  decisions  based  on  commercial  considerations  and  market  dynamics.  Over  the years, the steel industry has undertaken cost-effective and environment-friendly production of steel through the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies and research. With  the  widespread  adoption  of  Best  Available  Technologies  (BAT),  the  Indian  steel industry  has  reduced  it  specific  energy  consumption  substantially  leading  to  the proportionate reduction in the emission intensity. The average CO2 emission intensity of the Indian steel industry has reduced from 3.1 T/tcs in 2005 to around 2.6 T/tcs by 2020. Iron & Steel sector is a stakeholder in the Hydrogen Energy Mission announced by the Government, for promoting utilisation of green hydrogen in the country.

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