The government will continue to prioritise higher steel production and raw material security in the coming year, as India enters the final five years of its journey towards achieving an installed steelmaking capacity of 300 million tonne (MT) by 2030. Alongside capacity expansion, the emphasis will remain on the adoption of low-carbon technologies, the development of green steel capacity and the production of special and high-end steel grades to meet the evolving needs of domestic industries and export markets, a steel ministry official said. The push comes at a time when India is the world's second-largest crude steel producer, and steel demand continues to be supported by strong infrastructure spending, housing, railways, automobiles, defence manufacturing and capital goods under government initiatives such as PM Gati Shakti, National Infrastructure Pipeline, and Make in India. However, the industry is also bracing for continued challenges in 2025, including rising imports, volati