THEBUSINESSBYTES
BUREAU
NEW DELHI,
JANUARY 19, 2026
As India readies itself to host Bharat
Steel 2026, the country is positioning the summit as a defining global platform
to shape the next era of steelmaking, driven by cutting-edge R&D,
digitalisation, innovation and access to highly skilled engineering and
technology talent. The two-day global gathering in New Delhi will bring together
policymakers, technology pioneers and industry leaders to deliberate on the
most pressing challenges facing the sector, including resilient supply chains
and the rapid transition to low-emission steel production.
Underscoring the strategic importance
of the sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has likened steel to the “skeleton”
of modern economies, noting that from skyscrapers and highways to high-speed
rail, smart cities and industrial corridors, steel underpins every major
development success. Speaking earlier at India Steel 2025, he reaffirmed
India’s ambition of becoming a $5 trillion economy, with the steel sector
playing a central role, while expressing pride in India’s status as the world’s
second-largest steel producer.
This vision forms the cornerstone of
Bharat Steel 2026, which seeks to reimagine a global blueprint for the industry
amid economic uncertainty, fragmented trade flows, rising protectionism and the
urgent imperative of achieving net-zero goals. India’s leadership is anchored
in both scale and ambition, with national targets of 300 million tonnes of
steel capacity by 2030 and 500 million tonnes by 2047. While demand continues
to surge across infrastructure, housing, railways, defence and energy,
achieving these milestones will depend not just on capacity expansion but also
on secure raw material access, predictable regulations and innovation-led
modernisation.
Policy initiatives such as
strengthened domestic beneficiation, reduced dependence on coking coal,
improved logistics and streamlined approvals are reinforcing the supply-side
push. The Government’s Production Linked Incentive scheme for specialty steel
is already transforming the industry, shifting focus from commodity-grade
output to high-value, precision-engineered steels critical for aerospace,
automotive, defence and advanced infrastructure.
Green steel will be at the heart of
India’s future competitiveness. The Ministry of Steel’s Green Steel Roadmap
2024 charts a transition through clean energy integration, green hydrogen pilots,
carbon capture, utilisation and storage, expanded scrap usage and emerging
technologies such as direct electrolysis. Digitalisation will be another key
theme at the summit, with IoT-based monitoring, robotics, automation and
predictive maintenance, alongside AI-driven optimisation, promising efficiency
gains, reduced waste and superior quality.
As global trade increasingly moves
towards carbon-accounting norms, India aims to establish itself as a leading
exporter of low-emission, high-grade steel. The National Steel Strategy
prioritises joint ventures and investments in hydrogen-based DRI, CCUS and
electrolysis technologies, supported by targeted incentives to accelerate
adoption.
With participation from over 700
global delegates spanning the entire steel value chain, including partner
country and state pavilions, public sector Maharatnas, leading private players,
start-ups, innovators and investors, Bharat Steel 2026 marks a pivotal moment.
The summit seeks to chart a secure, competitive, climate-aligned and
future-ready roadmap for the global steel industry, reinforcing Prime Minister
Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 and positioning steel not only as the
backbone of infrastructure but also as the spine of sustainable progress and
global industrial leadership.
