Question : Consumption of Steel

(a) the details of per capita consumption of steel in rural as well as in urban India as compared to national average during each of the last three years;
(b) whether the Central Government proposes any action plan to increase the consumption of steel in rural parts of the country and bring some policies in this regard; and
(c) whether the Government proposes any action plan to move towards Green Steel or low carbon steel manufacturing and make India as a Manufacturing Hub and if so, the details of the steps taken by the Government in this direction?

THE MINISTER OF STEEL (SHRI RAM CHANDRA PRASAD SINGH)

(a) Details of rural, urban and overall per capita consumption of finished steel during last three years are given below: -

Per capita consumption of finished steel in India
Year Quantity (in kg)
Rural Urban(e) Overall
2018-19 19.1 182 74.4
2019-20 20.3 185 74.7
2020-21 21.5 170 70.0
2021-22(April-Nov.) 22.8 176 72.3
Source: JPC; e=estimated

(b) Ministry of Steel has taken measures to enhance steel demand usage in the country, especially in the rural areas and is actively working with Ministry of Rural Development. Webinars have been held with the Ministry of Rural Development and the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare with an aim towards increasing awareness on steel usage and benefits of using steel goods such as: Steel intensive structures in Community/Common Facility Areas, Water Storage facilities, Grain Storage Silos, Household water storage drums etc. A Joint Working Group (JWG) has been constituted for developing standardized design and layouts of housing configurations with steel structure with estimated cost, as adopted in Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-U and PMAY-G) houses. Steel CPSEs viz. Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Rastriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) have appointed rural dealers and also engage in various promotional activities specifically aiming towards educating rural India on advantages of using steel.

Contd………2/-
-: 2 :-



(c) Indian Iron and Steel sector is a deregulated sector. Steel companies take their own decisions based on commercial considerations and market dynamics. Over the years, the steel industry has undertaken cost-effective and environment-friendly production of steel through the adoption of state-of-the-art technologies and research.
With the widespread adoption of Best Available Technologies (BAT), the Indian steel industry has reduced it specific energy consumption substantially leading to the proportionate reduction in the emission intensity. The average CO2 emission intensity of the Indian steel industry has reduced from 3.1 T/tcs in 2005 to around 2.6 T/tcs by 2020. Iron & Steel sector is a stakeholder in the Hydrogen Energy Mission announced by the Government, for promoting utilisation of green hydrogen in the country.

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