[SMM Iron & Steel] Manufacturing Becomes Key Driver of India’s Steel Demand

Published: Jun 23, 2026 15:23

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India’s finished steel consumption rose 7% to 161 million tonnes in FY26, marking the slowest post-pandemic growth. Infrastructure demand stayed flat at 45 million tonnes as project execution, highway construction and fund disbursement slowed. Manufacturing became the main growth driver, with engineering, capital goods, consumer durables and automobiles lifting combined demand to 60 million tonnes and contributing over 70% of incremental growth. BigMint expects demand to rise to 175 million tonnes in FY27 as infrastructure recovers.

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