RINL shifts focus to flat steel

Mumbai : Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL) has decided to expand into the flat steel business with the changing dynamics of demand.Chairman and Managing Director P K Bishnoi said the country’s largest long steel maker was looking to enter the flat steel market in a big way.

He said up to 7.3 million tonne (mt) capacity from the current 3.3 mt, would be for long steel maker. “However, the 4 mt that we plan to add after the 7.3-mt expansion, we will focus on flat steel.

RINL is also in the process of setting up a railway axle plant. “The Railways has given us the land and axle making is a very high value-added product".

All other steel makers in India have already set their eyes on this lucrative high margin segment and are adding capacity in that direction.