Extracted Data Points

Production and Demand Data (May 2026)

  • Crude steel production: 14.21 million tonnes, up 2.9% year-on-year (YoY)
  • Hot metal production: grew 2.0% YoY
  • Pig iron output: 0.77 million tonnes, growth of 1.1% YoY
  • Finished steel production: 13.94 million tonnes, up 7.7% YoY
  • Finished steel consumption: 14.33 million tonnes, growth of 9.0% YoY

Cumulative Data (April-May 2026)

  • Crude steel production: 28.04 million tonnes, up 2.7% over corresponding period last year (CPLY)
  • Previous year (April-May 2025): 27.30 million tonnes
  • Hot metal production: grew 2.7% CPLY
  • Pig iron output: 1.50 million tonnes, growth of 0.2% CPLY
  • Finished steel production: 27.36 million tonnes, up 6.4% CPLY
  • Finished steel consumption: 27.36 million tonnes, growth of 8.7% CPLY
  • Demand drivers: construction, infrastructure, and manufacturing end-use segments

Trade Data (May 2026)

  • Imports: 0.69 million tonnes, year-on-year growth of 62.5% over May 2025 (0.42 million tonnes)
  • Exports: 0.51 million tonnes, year-on-year growth of 29.9% over May 2025 (0.39 million tonnes)

Cumulative Trade Data (April-May 2026)

  • Imports: 1.37 million tonnes
  • Exports: 0.98 million tonnes
  • India status: net importer during the period
  • Compared to April-May 2025: imports grew 45.0% (from 0.94 million tonnes), exports grew 27.4% (from 0.77 million tonnes)

Capacity Expansion

  • Total crude steelmaking capacity: approximately 220 MTPA in FY 2025-26
  • National Steel Policy target: 300 MTPA by 2030
  • SAIL expansion: Bhilai Steel Plant from 6.8 MTPA to 10.2 MTPA
  • JSW Steel: commenced construction of integrated steel plant at Paradip, Odisha in May 2026
  • Planned capacity: 13.2 MTPA (phased development)

Green Steel Initiatives

  • Green steel certificates issued: 94 producers across 15 states as of 31st May 2026
  • Certified products: TMT Bars, HR/CR Coils, Plates, Wire Rods, and Pipes
  • Majority certification: highest 5-star rating
  • Uptake: strong across secondary and mid-size steel producers

Steel Price Scenario (May 2026)

  • Domestic steel prices decreased month-on-month (MoM) across all major product categories
  • TMT/Rebar prices: declined ~1.3% MoM, registered ~4.5% YoY gain (first positive YoY reading after several months)
  • Flat steel prices: HR Coil and GP Sheet prices both fell by approximately 0.2% MoM

Raw Material Overview (May 2026)

  • NMDC: increased domestic iron ore prices by ₹200 per tonne
  • MOIL manganese ore production: 0.17 million tonnes, up 4% month-on-month
  • MOIL manganese ore prices: eased by 4% during the month
  • International coking coal costs: edged up 2.8% month-on-month to $239/tonne
  • International scrap prices: moved higher during the month

Outlook

  • Growth drivers: robust infrastructure spending and expanding manufacturing activity
  • Challenges: weakening steel prices and rising raw material costs
  • Expected impact: pressure on producer margins in the near term
  • Domestic demand fundamentals: remain supportive

Data Source

  • Provisional JPC data for May 2026