In spite of the relative advantage of the lower cost of iron ore and lowerlabour costs accruable to the domestic steel industry , the longtermsustainabilityof the overall low cost of Production is threatened primarily by higher coke rates inironmakingand higher total energy consumption. It is heartening to note that theblast furnace operations have progressively improved over the years . However,our steel plants have not yet reached world standards in the rates of cokeconsumption, a single most important index in ironmakingand specific energyconsumption . Some of them lag far behind. The current international standard ofachievement of coke consumption is about 500kg per tonne of hot metal. One Indiansteel plants is close it Other are in the range of 550kg to 600kg and still other are inthe range of even 700kg of coke! Similarly, the international standard of achievementof energy consumption is about 6giga calories per tonne; the average Indianachievement is about 8.5giga calories per tonne. A few year ago it was in the rangeof 1012giga calories per tonne. If the Indian steel industry is to be competitive, ithas to tackle this energy consumption norm very vigorously. In the coming yearsenergy prices are going to rise and hence the need to conserve more energy.As we present this vision in 1998, some of the stalwarts in the steel sector, whichis presently undergoing severe market problems and is marked by a downward trendin production and sale, may be cynical . However, most of the present problems areconnected with a general slowdown in industrial demand during 199798.It isextremely unlikely that these trends will continue. India is continuing to show all thesigns of a fastgrowingeconomy . That means, consumption of steel products will goup. Using this marked base, we should be ready to compete in outside marketsIn spite of the relative advantage of the lower cost of iron ore and lowerlabour costs accruable to the domestic steel industry , the longtermsustainability

of the overall low cost of Production is threatened primarily by higher coke rates inironmakingand higher total energy consumption. It is heartening to note that theblast furnace operations have progressively improved over the years . However,our steel plants have not yet reached world standards in the rates of cokeconsumption, a single most important index in ironmakingand specific energyconsumption . Some of them lag far behind. The current international standard ofachievement of coke consumption is about 500kg per tonne of hot metal. One Indiansteel plants is close it Other are in the range of 550kg to 600kg and still other are inthe range of even 700kg of coke! Similarly, the international standard of achievementof energy consumption is about 6giga calories per tonne; the average Indianachievement is about 8.5giga calories per tonne. A few year ago it was in the rangeof 1012giga calories per tonne. If the Indian steel industry is to be competitive, ithas to tackle this energy consumption norm very vigorously. In the coming yearsenergy prices are going to rise and hence the need to conserve more energy.As we present this vision in 1998, some of the stalwarts in the steel sector, whichis presently undergoing severe market problems and is marked by a downward trendin production and sale, may be cynical . However, most of the present problems areconnected with a general slowdown in industrial demand during 199798.It isextremely unlikely that these trends will continue. India is continuing to show all thesigns of a fastgrowingeconomy . That means, consumption of steel products will goup. Using this marked base, we should be ready to compete in outside marketsIn spite of the relative advantage of the lower cost of iron ore and lowerlabour costs accruable to the domestic steel industry , the longtermsustainabilityof the overall low cost of Production is threatened primarily by higher coke rates inironmakingand higher total energy consumption. It is heartening to note that the

blast furnace operations have progressively improved over the years . However,our steel plants have not yet reached world standards in the rates of cokeconsumption, a single most important index in ironmakingand specific energyconsumption . Some of them lag far behind. The current international standard ofachievement of coke consumption is about 500kg per tonne of hot metal. One Indiansteel plants is close it Other are in the range of 550kg to 600kg and still other are inthe range of even 700kg of coke! Similarly, the international standard of achievementof energy consumption is about 6giga calories per tonne; the average Indianachievement is about 8.5giga calories per tonne. A few year ago it was in the rangeof 1012giga calories per tonne. If the Indian steel industry is to be competitive, ithas to tackle this energy consumption norm very vigorously. In the coming yearsenergy prices are going to rise and hence the need to conserve more energy.As we present this vision in 1998, some of the stalwarts in the steel sector, whichis presently undergoing severe market problems and is marked by a downward trendin production and sale, may be cynical . However, most of the present problems areconnected with a general slowdown in industrial demand during 199798.It isextremely unlikely that these trends will continue. India is continuing to show all thesigns of a fastgrowingeconomy . That means, consumption of steel products will goup. Using this marked base, we should be ready to compete in outside marketsIn spite of the relative advantage of the lower cost of iron ore and lowerlabour costs accruable to the domestic steel industry , the longtermsustainabilityof the overall low cost of Production is threatened primarily by higher coke rates inironmakingand higher total energy consumption. It is heartening to note that theblast furnace operations have progressively improved over the years . However,our steel plants have not yet reached world standards in the rates of cokeconsumption, a single most important index in ironmaking

and specific energyconsumption . Some of them lag far behind. The current international standard ofachievement of coke consumption is about 500kg per tonne of hot metal. One Indiansteel plants is close it Other are in the range of 550kg to 600kg and still other are inthe range of even 700kg of coke! Similarly, the international standard of achievementof energy consumption is about 6giga calories per tonne; the average Indianachievement is about 8.5giga calories per tonne. A few year ago it was in the rangeof 1012giga calories per tonne. If the Indian steel industry is to be competitive, ithas to tackle this energy consumption norm very vigorously. In the coming yearsenergy prices are going to rise and hence the need to conserve more energy.As we present this vision in 1998, some of the stalwarts in the steel sector, whichis presently undergoing severe market problems and is marked by a downward trendin production and sale, may be cynical . However, most of the present problems areconnected with a general slowdown in industrial demand during 199798.It isextremely unlikely that these trends will continue. India is continuing to show all thesigns of a fastgrowingeconomy . That means, consumption of steel products will goup. Using this marked base, we should be ready to compete in outside marketsIn spite of the relative advantage of the lower cost of iron ore and lowerlabour costs accruable to the domestic steel industry , the longtermsustainabilityof the overall low cost of Production is threatened primarily by higher coke rates inironmakingand higher total energy consumption. It is heartening to note that theblast furnace operations have progressively improved over the years . However,our steel plants have not yet reached world standards in the rates of cokeconsumption, a single most important index in ironmakingand specific energyconsumption . Some of them lag far behind. The current international standard of

achievement of coke consumption is about 500kg per tonne of hot metal. One Indiansteel plants is close it Other are in the range of 550kg to 600kg and still other are inthe range of even 700kg of coke! Similarly, the international standard of achievementof energy consumption is about 6giga calories per tonne; the average Indianachievement is about 8.5giga calories per tonne. A few year ago it was in the rangeof 1012giga calories per tonne. If the Indian steel industry is to be competitive, ithas to tackle this energy consumption norm very vigorously. In the coming yearsenergy prices are going to rise and hence the need to conserve more energy.As we present this vision in 1998, some of the stalwarts in the steel sector, whichis presently undergoing severe market problems and is marked by a downward trendin production and sale, may be cynical . However, most of the present problems areconnected with a general slowdown in industrial demand during 199798.It isextremely unlikely that these trends will continue. India is continuing to show all thesigns of a fastgrowingeconomy . That means, consumption of steel products will goup. Using this marked base, we should be ready to compete in outside markets