SAIL clocks record output

At a time when the government is looking at addressing the issue of supply constraint in the steel sector to rein in inflation, public sector SAIL yesterday announced that it has achieved a record production of 13.04 million tonne of saleable steel and 14 mt of crude steel in 2007-08. SAIL accounts for nearly 33% of the total steel produced in the country. Any increase in production is bound to improve the supply situation in the market. There is a small demand-supply gap of 2-mt of steel in the domestic market after accounting for exports and imports.

SAIL registered a growth of 30% in production of special steel and value-added steel items, totalling 3.7 mt. The highest level of production was recorded for rails at 9,11,000 tonne. The company achieved the highest-ever domestic sales of 11.9 mt during 2007-08. Sale of rails grew 54%, plates 8%, hot rolled coils 7%, TMT bars 53% and medium structural steel 15%.