Lok Sabha Question No. 4843 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-01
Subject: Quality of Steel Import
Ministry: STEEL
Asked by: Shri Arun Bharti

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STEEL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4843 FOR ANSWER ON 01.04.2025

## QUALITY OF STEEL IMPORT

4843. SHRI ARUN BHARTI:

Will the Minister of STEEL be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  detail  of  the  volume  and  quality  of  steel  imports  evading  Bureau  of  Indian Standards (BIS);
- (b) whether the Government has assessed the economic benefits of achieving 300 million tonnes of steel production capacity by 2030, particularly for small and medium steel producers and if so, what are the expected outcomes, if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  enforcement  of  BIS  standards  and  Quality  Control  Orders  has effectively reduced the import of sub-standard steel and if so, the impact on domestic steel prices and productions thereof;
- (d)  the  measures  taken  to  expand  or  upgrade  the  existing  online  portal  for  NOC applications to streamline the approval process further; and
- (e) whether specific incentives or policies to encourage investments in sustainable and high-quality  steel  production  aligned  with  the  National  Steel  Policy  and  if  so,  the initiatives thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE          (SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA) MINISTRY OF STEEL

(a), (c)&(d):    Whenever BIS Standard for a steel product is formulated  and incorporated in the Steel Quality Control Order (QCO), it is mandatory that such steel product will be manufactured with a BIS license, both by domestic producers or foreign producers intending to export to India. So far 151 Indian Standards have been notified under the Quality Control Order covering carbon steel, alloy steel and stainless steel.

Regarding the measures taken to upgrade the existing online portal for NOC applications, the functionality was integrated with the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS) portal, for the applicants seeking NOC, for such products which are not covered under the QCO. This initiative promoted ease of doing business as importers need only to register and provide the desired inputs on a single portal only.

Steel is a deregulated sector and the domestic steel prices & steel production are determined by factors such as steelmaking capacity, demand supply dynamics of market forces, consumption etc.

- (b) The National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017, envisages creation of a technologically advanced and globally competitive steel industry, including the small & medium steel producers, that promotes economic growth.
- (e)       The following are the initiatives of Ministry of Steel, to encourage investments in sustainable and high-quality steel production aligned with the National Steel Policy:-
-  Government has launched the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for 'Specialty Steel' to promote the manufacturing of certain high grade varieties of steel within the country by attracting capital investment and promote technology up-gradation in the steel sector.
-  Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Steel has awarded two pilot projects to produce DRI using 100% Hydrogen in vertical shaft and one pilot project to use hydrogen in existing Blast Furnace to reduce coal/coke consumption under this Mission.

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