NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Steel & Heavy Industries H D Kumaraswamy on Friday held an interactive meeting with ambassadors and representatives of key partner countries, inviting them to actively participate in Bharat Steel 2026, the Ministry of Steel’s flagship global conference-cum-exhibition scheduled for April 2026. The meeting saw strong participation from diplomatic representatives of countries integral to the global steel value chain and formed part of the Ministry’s outreach to deepen international cooperation with major steel-producing and steel-consuming nations. Welcoming the participants, Kumaraswamy said their presence underscored the importance India places on trusted international partnerships. He noted that India’s steel sector reflects the country’s broader economic transformation and has emerged as a key pillar of growth, resilience and global integration. The minister highlighted that India is currently the world’s second-largest steel producer, a position achieved through sustained reforms, steady investments and a long-term vision focused on modernisation, self-reliance and sustainability. The sector contributes about 2.5 per cent to GDP and supports nearly 2.8 million livelihoods, with demand driven by infrastructure expansion, manufacturing growth and strategic sectors such as defence and mobility.
Referring to the National Steel Policy 2017, Kumaraswamy said India is progressing towards a steel capacity of 300 million tonnes by 2030 and an ambitious target of 500 million tonnes by 2047, which would further integrate the country with global steel value chains. He announced that the Ministry of Steel has decided to institutionalise an annual international conference-cum-exhibition titled “Bharat Steel,” with the first edition to be held in April 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event will serve as a global platform for policymakers, industry leaders, investors, technology providers and buyers, and will feature a Reverse Buyer–Seller Meet to promote structured B2B engagement.