New Delhi: Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Saturday described the steel sector as the “backbone” of India’s economic growth and a “key driver” of the nation’s vision of becoming a developed country by 2047.
Speaking at the 6th edition of Steel 2025, Reddy said, “From the world’s highest railway bridge, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir, to the iconic Pamban Bridge in Tamil Nadu, India is setting new benchmarks in infrastructure activity. In every bridge, every railway track, every industrial hub, the story of a rapidly developing Bharat is reflected.”
India’s steel surge
Highlighting the sector’s achievements, the minister said India has emerged as the world’s second-largest steel producer in the past three years. “As the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, steel is India’s sunrise sector. Its rapid growth is both a cause and a consequence of the expansion of domestic industries and the strength of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.
Reddy stressed that a secure supply of raw materials like iron ore, coking coal, limestone, and key elements such as manganese, nickel, and chromium is critical for the sector’s sustained growth. “The coal and mines sector forms the strong foundation on which India’s steel industry stands,” he said.
Coal production milestone
He further pointed out that India achieved a major milestone by producing and dispatching one billion metric tonnes of coal in the last financial year. “This is not an ordinary achievement. It is a massive step towards strengthening our steel and energy security,” he said.
While highlighting efforts to boost renewable energy, Reddy mentioned that coal would continue to remain central to India’s energy needs. “Even today, coal meets 60% of our total energy requirements and 79% of our power demand,” he said.
