JSW steel to become largest pvt steel-maker

New Delhi: Metal and mining company JSW Steel is set to become India’s largest private sector steel producer, post-capacity augmentation of its plant at Vijaynagar in Karnataka by end of the calendar year.

“On commencement of the expansion project in Q3 of the FY ‘09, JSW Steel will be the largest steel plant in private sector in India with a total crude steel production capacity of 7.8 million tonnes (including one MTPA at Salem)” JSW Group Chief Financial Officer Sheshagiri Rao said.

Presently, SAIL is India’s largest steel producer in the public sector with annual production hovering close to 15 million tonnes, while in the private sector, Tata Steel tops the list with an installed production capacity of 6.8 million tonnes.

Sajjan Jindal-led JSW Steel is in the process of expanding its finished steel capacity at Vijaynagar plant in Karnataka to 6.8 million tonnes, against the present 3.8 million tonnes.

It has already commissioned a sinter plant and two blocks of coke-oven batteries as part of the company’s Rs 5,300 crore expansion project at Vijaynagar. The steel major has also lined up two greenfield projects of 10 million tonnes’ capacity each in West Bengal and Jharkhand with a cumulative investment of about Rs 70,000 crore. It plans to commence construction work for its West Bengal project in November this year, while that in Jharkhand by early next year.