Key takeaways from 7th India International DRI & Steel Summit 2026

The 7th India International DRI & Steel Summit 2026: Navigating the Sustainable Growth of the Indian Steel Industry organised by the Sponge Iron Manufacturers Association of India (SIMA), with BigMint as the Knowledge and Marketing partner, focused on the secondary steel and DRI ecosystem, the backbone of the Indian steel industry. Indias steel growth story remains fundamentally robust, but sustaining it on the path of the 300 million tonnes (mnt) vision will require coordinated action across policy, technology, finance, raw materials, and social engagement.

Demand outlook:

India is firmly in a high steel-demand phase, driven by rising per capita incomes, urbanisation, infrastructure expansion, and government-led capex. With central capex rising from INR 2 lakh crore to INR 11 lakh crore over a decade and a $1.7 trillion infrastructure pipeline, steel demand growth is not cyclical but structural. This creates confidence that growth and decarbonisation must progress together, one cannot be sacrificed for the other.

Secondary steel is central, not peripheral:

The sessions in the conference decisively challenged the outdated perception of secondary or induction-furnace steel as inferior. With 45-50% of Indias crude steel produced via the secondary route, clusters like Jalna exemplify agility, entrepreneurship, and rapid technology adoption. Induction furnace steel quality is now at par with other routes, and this segment will remain indispensable to Indias expansion, employment generation, and regional development.

Raw materials, logistics key bottlenecks:

Iron ore availability is lagging steel growth, with mining expanding at ~5.6% CAGR versus steel at ~8%. Declining ore quality, high auction premiums, fewer operational mines, and policy ambiguity around beneficiation and low-grade ore classification are intensifying supply risks particularly for secondary steel producers dependent on merchant miners.

Scrap availability and logistics has emerged as another critical constraint. Low bulk density scrap inflates transport costs, while dependence on imports exposing MSMEs to global price volatility. Practical solutions such as scrap shredding at source, increasing bulk density, and redesigning sponge iron logistics using rail and specialised containers were highlighted as high-impact, near-term opportunities.

Decarbonisation: practical pathways:

While green steel dominated the discourse, speakers repeatedly stressed the need to move from what to how. Indias steel sector lags national carbon-intensity reduction, and coal-based DRI remains dominant. Practical transition pathways discussed include:

These measures may not deliver net zero immediately, but they will materially reduce emissions while preserving competitiveness.

Energy and hydrogen are real constraints:

Hydrogen-based DRI and electrification promise deep decarbonisation but imply a massive surge in electricity demand potentially 10x current levels requiring grid upgrades, large-scale renewables, and also nuclear power. Hydrogen availability, transport, storage, and cost remain binding constraints. Hence, transitional solutions using syngas, natural gas, and biomass are essential.

R&D weakest link, biggest opportunity:

A recurring and urgent message was the underinvestment in R&D. India spends ~0.7% of GDP on research versus 3-5% in advanced economies. Despite government incentives (RDI schemes, tax deductions, PPP models), industry-led research remains insufficient.

The call to action was clear: foundational technologies such as hydrogen-based DRI, beneficiation of low-grade ore, and biocarbon integration are too complex for individual firms and require collective industry effort, ideally through platforms like SIMA in collaboration with the IITs.

Financing, liquidity, and market signals:

Decarbonisation requires hundreds of billions of dollars. With green steel carrying a 20-25% premium, unresolved questions remain around cost-sharing between producers, consumers, and government. Tools like CCTS, CBAM-driven MRV, and TReDS which have already discounted ~INR 25,000 crore of invoices are crucial enablers, especially for MSMEs navigating tight working capital cycles.

Beyond regulatory approvals, community engagement emerged as a decisive factor for mining and expansion. Early engagement, local employment, skilling, and alternative livelihoods are essential for long-term stability. Social license was framed not as CSR, but as a core pillar of sustainable scaling to 300 mnt.

Talent and image of steel:

Attracting youth to steel has been increasingly difficult. The solution lies in repositioning steel as a sector of AI, digitalisation, automation, Industry 5.0, and nation-building. Examples like AI-enabled manless weighbridges and logistics optimisation doubling throughput without physical expansion demonstrate how technology can transform both productivity and perception.

Therefore, steel demand will continue to grow; decarbonisation must enable not constrain this growth. Secondary steel and the IF route is central to Indias future, not transitional anomalies. Raw material availability, quality, and logistics are immediate risks that demand policy and industry action. And finally, practical, incremental decarbonisation measures are essential while hydrogen and green power scale up happens at a rapid pace.