Sector Snapshot · Ferrous Metals

India's Steel Industry Builds Toward 300 Million Tonnes

A fast-read primer on India's ferrous metals and steel sector — the backdrop against which we benchmark every company's cost structure in this category.

#2
World's largest crude steel producer ranking
153.6 MT
Crude steel production, FY26 (Apr-Feb)
300 MT
Steel capacity target by FY30
US$156.08 bn
Investment needed to hit the FY30 target
100%
FDI allowed under automatic route

Capacity Is Scaling Toward a 300 MT Target

Production capacity has grown steadily, and the government's FY30 ambition implies a significant further step-up.

Steel Production Capacity (MT)

FY25 → FY30 target

200.33 MT
FY25
300 MT
FY30 Target

FDI in Metallurgical Industries (US$ bn)

Cumulative since April 2000 vs. investment needed by 2030-31

$19.14bn
Cumulative FDI
$156.08bn
Investment Needed

What's Pushing the Sector Forward

Robust demand, competitive fundamentals, and consistent policy support underpin the sector.

Robust Demand
  • Domestic steel demand estimated to grow 9-10% in 2025 (ICRA)
  • Finished steel production reached 146.8 MT in FY26 (Apr-Feb)
Competitive Advantage
  • Low-cost manpower and abundant iron ore reserves
  • Potential to be the world's 2nd-largest iron ore producer
Policy Support
  • 100% FDI allowed under the automatic route
  • 30% export duty on iron ore to protect domestic supply
  • Rs443.18 crore allocated to the Ministry of Steel, FY27

Recent Developments

A sample of the industry-wide and policy moves shaping the sector through early 2026.

Companies We Benchmark in This Sector

Listed Indian Ferrous Metals companies in tDoBe's cost-benchmarking coverage.

JSW Steel
Tata Steel
Jindal Steel
SAIL
Jindal Stainless
KIOCL
Sarda Energy
NMDC Steel
Vedanta Iron & Steel
Sandur Manganese
Kirloskar Ferrous
Indian Metals
Jai Balaji Industries
Maithan Alloys
Prakash Industries
S.A.L Steel
VISA Chrome
Manaksia Steels

The Cost Benchmark — What We Actually FoundtDoBe Think Report

The market facts above are public background. What follows is tDoBe's own work: every "Other Expenses" line from these companies' own financial records, read by hand and sorted into one clear set of categories — not a keyword search, not each company's own way of reporting it.

28.6%
tDoBe Average — Other Expenses as % of net revenue
3.2×
Gap between the highest and lowest company
10
Cost categories, sorted by meaning
8.4%
Biggest single category — Miscellaneous & Others
FY24/25
Latest available financial records

Where Companies Land — Total Other Expenses

Each mark is one company's total Other Expenses as % of net revenue. No company is named here.

28.6%
0%10%20%30%40%50%

tDoBe Average by Cost Category

Ranked from biggest to smallest.

Miscellaneous & Others
8.4%
Power & Fuel/Utilities
7.7%
Freight, Distribution & Logistics
3.2%
Repairs & Maintenance
1.9%
Corporate Social Responsibility
0.3%
Total Other Expenses
28.6%
Where the Cost Really Sits

General overheads and energy costs are close together as the two biggest cost buckets, followed by getting product to customers — typical of steel and iron-ore processing.

Why the Range Is So Wide

Plant scale, ore access, and how integrated a company's operations are all vary meaningfully across this sector, which drives most of the spread between companies.

Why the Comparison Is Fair

We use each company's own standalone financial records — not group numbers, not each company's own labels. Every cost line is read by hand and placed into one common set of categories, so every company is compared the same way.

See Where Your Own Company Stands

This is the free, sector-wide view. It tells you where Ferrous Metals stands as a whole — not where your own company stands against it, category by category, in rupees.

Report
$999
Your company, named, benchmarked against the sector. Every category broken out and explained. Delivered in about a week.
Consulting
$4,999
7 working days. We work straight from your own records, on the categories you want answered first.

A below-average number is a reason to call too — the benchmark keeps improving as we go.

Request the Ferrous Metals Report

Free — there's nothing to pay. Share your details and our team will personally send it over to your inbox.

Thanks — we've got your request. Our team will personally send the Ferrous Metals Think Report to your inbox shortly.

Start an Engagement

There's nothing to pay right now — tell us which one, and our team will follow up with next steps.

You're in. Expect an email from us at your work address within 1–2 business days with next steps.
Link copied
Compiled from public government and industry sources, February 2026 update · Figures rounded · tDoBe sector snapshot, for informational purposes · Cost Benchmark findings compiled from companies' own financial records, FY2024/25.