As per World Steel Association data, India became the second largest steel producer of crude steel after China in 2018 and 2019, by replacing Japan. It was informed by Union Minister of Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan in the Rajya Sabha on February 5, 2020. The details of five leading crude steel producers in the world during 2018 and 2019 are listed below:-
Top 5 Crude steel producers in the world: 2018, 2019*
| 5 | South Korea | 72.5 | 5 | Russia | 71.6 |
India’s crude steel production in 2018 was at 109.3 MT, an increase of 7.7 per cent from 101.5 MT in 2017.
Steel being a deregulated sector, the Government does not set any annual targets for steel production. Decision on quantity of steel production is taken by individual companies based on commercial considerations and market requirements.
