Indian state-owned steel producer Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) achieved its best-ever April-September performance across several production, sales and efficiency parameters in the first half of FY27.
SAIL produced a record 10.2 mln tons of hot metal, 9.6 mln tons of crude steel and 8.39 mln tons of finished steel during April-September, up 2pct, 1pct and 1pct YoY, respectively. The share of finished steel in total saleable steel production improved to 89.2pct from 86.8pct a year earlier. High-end steel production reached around 2 mln tons, up 30pct YoY.
Iron ore production also reached a record April-September level, rising 13pct YoY, while iron ore sales surged 190pct to 2.671 mln tons. Dispatches to Indian Railways increased 7pct for long rails and 3pct for wheels and axles during the period.
In September, SAIL recorded its best-ever monthly saleable steel sales of 1.69 mln tons, up 4pct YoY. Sales of its branded SAIL SeQR TMT bars exceeded 150,000 tons, the highest monthly level. September also saw record sales of structural steel, plates and galvanized steel.
SAIL currently produces around 20.6 mln tons of crude steel annually and is targeting expansion to 35 mln tons per year by FY2031. The company operates five integrated steel plants and three special steel plants across India, producing flat, long, special and railway steel products.