The iron and steel industry in India has recently grown exponentially; in India, we have accessible resources like raw materials and easy labor. This particular industry contributes to India’s GDP as well. Also, it is a significant part of the labor as well; the aim of the Iron and Steel Industry in India has continuously been to update the older plants and degradation to higher levels of energy. We will be shocked to know India holds the second position after Japan, which is very impressive for our economy. So, in this post, we will discuss some of India’s Iron and steel industries, which were established before India’s independence!
So here is the list of Iron and Steel Industry in India
Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO)
This is the oldest iron besides the steel center of India. It is a private sector innovativeness. It was established in 1907 by Jamshedji Tata at Sakchi in Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Later on, it was rechristened as Jamshedpur after Jamshedji. It started making pig iron in 1911 and steel in 1912.
The plant initially had a capacity of making 1.21 million tonnes of pig iron and 1.1 million tonnes of steel per annum. This capacity has increased to 3.9 million tonnes of pig iron, 2 million tonnes of ingot steel, and 3 million tonnes of saleable steel. Currently, it produces about 3 million tonnes of profitable steel.
Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO)
Three plants at Kulti, Hirapur, and Bumpur in West Bengal were set up in 1864, 1908, and 1937, respectively. These plants have been merged and are known as the Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO). It was brought under government control and management in July 1972. The Kolkata-Asansol railway line links the three floras—Tirupur plant crops and pig iron, which are sent to Kulti to make steel. The continuing mills are located at Bumpur.
The Visweswaraya Iron and Steel Ltd
It was established as Mysore Iron besides Steel Company (MISCO) in 1923 by the erstwhile state of Mysore. It is situated at Bhadravati on the banks of the Bhadravati River in the Shimoga district of Karnataka. This plant was transported under state control in 1962 and renamed Visveswaraya Iron besides Steel Ltd. after the name of great applied scientist Dr Visweswaraya. This plant has a capacity of 1.38 lakh tonnes of steel. There are plans to increase its capacity to two lakh tonnes. This centre has the following advantages.
Bhilai
Bhilai Iron and Steel Centre was set up in the Durg district of Chhattisgarh in 1957 with the technical and financial support of the then-Soviet Union. It began production in 1959. Its initial size was 10 lakh tonnes, which was raised to 52 lakh tonnes.
Durg happens to be a backward area, so the purpose of setting up this plant was to bring wealth to this area. This plant produced 41.87 lakh tonnes of crude steel, 38.32 lakh tonnes of saleable steel, and 2.43 lakh tonnes of pig iron in 1996- 97.
Rourkela Steel Plant
The Hindustan Steel Limited plant at Rourkela is located in the Sundargarh district of Orissa. It was set up with the help of the then-West German stable, Krupps and Demang, through the Second Five-Year Plan (West Germany and East Germany have combined to form one country now). It began working in 1959. It produced 12.40 lakh tonnes of bare steel, 11.80 lakh tonnes of saleable steel, and 0.54 lakh tonnes of pig iron in 1996-97.
Durgapur Steel Plant
This herbal of The Hindustan Steel Ltd. is located at Durgapur in Bardhaman district of West Bengal. It remained set up in 1959 with the help of the United Kingdom. The production happened in 1962. It has a total capacity of 35 lakh tonnes. It produced 12.45 lakh tonnes of bare steel, 10.93 lakh tonnes of saleable steel, and 1.14 lakh tonnes of commercial pig iron in 1996-97.
The Alloy Steel Plant at Durgapur can harvest 1.6 lakh tonnes of ingot steel, which has been expanded to 2 lakh tonnes of crude steel. The subsequent geographical factors favour its place and growth.
Bokaro Steel Plant
A new public sector corporation, Bokaro Steel Ltd., was formed in 1964 to erect a blade plant with the collaboration of the erstwhile Soviet Union at Bokaro near the confluence of the Bokaro and Damodar rivers in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. It is the second plant set up through the Soviet help. It started production in 1972. Its initial capacity was 10 lakh tonnes, which is high to 40 lakh tonnes.
There are plans to raise its size to 100 lakh tonnes, making it the most significant iron then steel-making centre in India. It produced 36.44 lakh tonnes of crude steel, 30.46 lakh tonnes of saleable steel, and 2.6 lakh tonnes of pig iron in 1996-97.
The Salem Steel Plant
The herbal tea has been set up in Salem in the Salem area of Tamil Nadu. The plant has the advantage of rich iron ore besides limestone, which is readily available in the adjoining areas. It also relishes the facilities of cheap power, charcoal, and a vast market. The iron ore obtainable here has low sulfur and phosphorus content and is suitable for producing special-grade iron and steel.
The plant started saleable production in 1982. Its capacity was 32 thousand tonnes of stainless steel sheets at the commencement. This capacity was doubled in 1991 with an extra rolling mill. This capacity was further raised to 80 thousand tonnes of saleable steel in 1995-96.
Today, the Salem Steel Plant is a crucial producer of world-class stainless steel and is in a site to export stainless steel to some of the advanced countries such as the USA, Mexico, Australia, and some countries of South-East Asia.
To cater to the mounting demand for coinage of the Indian Government Mints, the management had also set up a blanking facility in 1993 with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes per annum. It likewise commissioned a hot rolling capability in November 1995, which has state-of-the-art technology through a high level of automation. This plant produced 48 thousand tonnes of saleable steel in 1995-96.
Vijayanagar Steel Plant
This vegetal has been set up at Tomagal near Hospet in Bellary district of Karnataka. It has a fit capacity of 30 lakh tonnes. The production of mild steel will be its unusual feature.
Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP)
This integrated steel plant has a unique location at the seaport. It is the first shore-based steel plant in the republic. Although the plant’s foundation stone was laid in 1972, the network work could only start in the real sense in February 1982 when Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited was united as a public sector company to implement the tower.
The project has been finalized in two stages: the first stage was accomplished by March 1992, and the second and final stage by July 1992. This is the most sophisticated modem-integrated steel plant in the country. Though the production commenced in 1991-92, 1993-94 was the first full year of integrated operation.
In 1997-98, this plant shaped 32.14 lakh tonnes of hot metal, 25.4 lakh tonnes of liquid sword, 22.5 lakh tonnes of saleable steel, and 7.7 lakh tonnes of pig iron. Besides taking full advantage of its coastal location, it is a major export-oriented steel plant. In 1995-96, it exported 10.23 lakh tonnes of iron and blades worth Rs.702 crore, mainly to China in addition to southeast Asian countries.
Currently holding 67th rank among 80 largest steel makers on the globe, as specialized by the Brussels-based International Iron and Steel Institute, VSP is smooth-sailing near reaching its goal of turning into a ‘world-class company in the steel industry’; as a result of the actual turnaround strategy adopted by its management for the last couple of years.
Conclusion
India is the world’s largest exporter of iron and steel, with a total export value of US$26.81 billion in 2020, according to the Indian Trade Ministry. This export volume is driven by India’s mounting steel industry, one of the largest in the world.
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