With China’s massive construction sector still struggling and the US and Europe probably heading into recessions, India has emerged as a saviour for flagging global steel demand.
Poised to overtake China as the world’s most populous country next year, India is in the middle of a building boom. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking to modernise roads, rail networks and ports in an attempt to vie with China as a manufacturing centre.
That is set to translate into a 6.7 per cent jump in steel demand to about 120 million tonnes in 2023, according to the World Steel Association, the highest growth among major economies.
India, which also had a similar expansion this year, overtook the US to become the world’s No 2 steel consumer after China a couple of years ago.
“The nation-building phase of any economy requires a lot of steel and commodities,” said Jayant Acharya, deputy managing director at JSW Steel, the nation’s biggest producer.
India is going through that phase in this decade, and it could boost the country’s steel consumption to more than 200 million tonnes by 2030, he said.
The buoyant outlook has set off a flurry of activity. ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, a joint venture between India’s Mittal family and the Japanese producer, has plans to more than triple capacity to 30 million tonnes in the coming decade.
South Korean steel maker Posco Holdings and Indian tycoon Gautam Adani, Asia’s richest person, are also exploring plans to set up mills in the country.
India produces the vast majority of the steel it uses but it is also being forced to import more to meet the surge in demand.
Inward shipments rose by 15 per cent in April through to October, from a year earlier, to 3.1 million tonnes, according to government figures.
Local producers are becoming worried about the flood of cheap imports as demand dries up in traditional steel producers.
China accounted for more than a quarter of imports in October while some Russian steel is also reaching India, the government data shows.
The quality of some of the steel coming in is “substandard”, said AK Hazra, deputy secretary general of the Indian Steel Association, which has requested authorities look into the matter.
“We are just asking that imports should be at competitive and international prices and the quality should adhere to Indian standards,” he said.
Despite the strong growth, India is still well behind its rival Asian powerhouse in terms of total steel consumption. Demand for next year will be less than a seventh of China’s 914 million tonnes, according to the World Steel Association data.
How fast India can narrow the gap will depend on the success of Mr Modi’s construction programme, with the Ministry of Finance estimating $1.4 trillion of funding will be needed for the National Infrastructure Pipeline through 2025.
China’s real estate problems and the lingering impact of Covid-19 will keep its steel demand suppressed next year, said Jayanta Roy, senior vice president at Icra, the Indian unit of Moody’s Investors Service.
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Uefa Nations League
League A:
Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Spain, France, England, Switzerland, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Croatia, Netherlands
League B:
Austria, Wales, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, Republic of Ireland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Turkey
League C:
Hungary, Romania, Scotland, Slovenia, Greece, Serbia, Albania, Norway, Montenegro, Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Cyprus, Estonia, Lithuania
League D:
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Match info:
Manchester City 2
Sterling (8'), Walker (52')
Newcastle United 1
Yedlin (30')
War on waste
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Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
PRISCILLA
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Transgender report
Tomorrow 2021
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• Architecture is over - here's cybertecture
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
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FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Fiorentina v Torino (8pm)
Hellas Verona v Roma (10.45pm)
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Parma v Napoli (2.30pm)
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Sassuolo v Cagliari (8pm)
Juventus v Sampdoria (10.45pm)
Monday
AC Milan v Bologna (10.45om)
Playing September 30
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Udinese v Spezia (8pm)
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School uniforms report
UAE SQUAD FOR ASIAN JIU-JITSU CHAMPIONSHIP
Men’s squad: Faisal Al Ketbi, Omar Al Fadhli, Zayed Al Kathiri, Thiab Al Nuaimi, Khaled Al Shehhi, Mohamed Ali Al Suwaidi, Farraj Khaled Al Awlaqi, Muhammad Al Ameri, Mahdi Al Awlaqi, Saeed Al Qubaisi, Abdullah Al Qubaisi and Hazaa Farhan
Women's squad: Hamda Al Shekheili, Shouq Al Dhanhani, Balqis Abdullah, Sharifa Al Namani, Asma Al Hosani, Maitha Sultan, Bashayer Al Matrooshi, Maha Al Hanaei, Shamma Al Kalbani, Haya Al Jahuri, Mahra Mahfouz, Marwa Al Hosani, Tasneem Al Jahoori and Maryam Al Amri
HOSTS
T20 WORLD CUP
2024: US and West Indies; 2026: India and Sri Lanka; 2028: Australia and New Zealand; 2030: England, Ireland and Scotland
ODI WORLD CUP
2027: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia; 2031: India and
Bangladesh
CHAMPIONS TROPHY
2025: Pakistan; 2029: India
THE DETAILS
Kaala
Dir: Pa. Ranjith
Starring: Rajinikanth, Huma Qureshi, Easwari Rao, Nana Patekar
Rating: 1.5/5
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Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative
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Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
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ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
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The five pillars of Islam
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
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A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
