India will intensify its focus on steel production and raw material security as part of its 2030 goals, according to The Economic Times.

The country aims to achieve a steel production capacity of 300 million tonnes by 2030. With a primary emphasis on green steel, India plans to produce special and high-quality grades for both domestic and export markets.

Demand for India's metal products has long been supported by infrastructure spending, as well as the housing, defense, and manufacturing sectors under government initiatives. Despite the national protective measures, Indian steelmakers still face headwinds, including growing imports, volatile raw material prices, and global trade uncertainties.

A steel ministry official stated that the government has implemented several measures to protect the local industry, such as imposing safeguard and anti-dumping duties on imports of flat steel products from countries like China and Vietnam.

Additionally, ministries introduced a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to provide financial incentives for the production of high-quality, special steel, which is used in defense, power generation, especially renewable energy, automotive, and aviation industries.

The government is also working to secure raw material supply. Relevant ministries are exploring new coking coal reserves and collaborating with other countries to diversify supplies.

Iron ore auctions are underway, encouraging steelmakers to participate, while the ministry is advancing the enrichment of low-grade raw materials.

However, Assocham, an industry organization, pointed out that the metallurgical sector still faces several challenges, such as rising coking coal costs, high logistics expenses, and infrastructure bottlenecks, despite government support.

Moreover, global trade barriers remain a significant issue. If India can successfully negotiate free trade agreements with the EU and the U.S., some of these challenges could be alleviated.

It is worth mentioning that India's iron ore imports reached a historical high in 2025, driven by tight domestic supply.