Tata BlueScope plans to export 10,000 ton of steel coil

Kolkata: Tata BlueScope Steel, a 50:50 joint venture between Tata Steel and Australia-based BlueScope Steel, is planning to export 10,000 tonnes of coated steel coil annually from its proposed 2,50,000-tonne Jamshedpur plant from 2010, according to its Vice-President (Building Products and Distribution), Mr Hakimuddin Ali.

The potential markets for its exports would be SAARC countries such as Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, he said while addressing newspersons at a press conference held here on Friday to announce the launch of its retail sale of colour coated steel building products.

“We expect to achieve a higher turnover of over Rs 800 crore annually once we start exporting in 2010,” Mr Ali said. Its turnover in 2007-08 amounted to Rs 280 crore, projected to rise to Rs 500 crore this year, he added.

The Rs 900-crore plant, to be set up at Bara in Jamshedpur, would be due for commissioning in the last quarter of 2009 and would be the first of its factories to produce coated steel coils, Mr Ali said.

The company is currently engaged in development of pre-engineered buildings for large industries, airports, stadiums and in production of coated steel sheets and other steel structures.

“The coated steel coil to be produced in the Jamshedpur plant would fully meet our demand for raw material in the other three plants in Pune, Bhiwadi (near Delhi) and Chennai,” he said. Currently, the domestic production of coated steel coils was 1,85,000 tonnes and the import 85,000 tonnes annually, he said.

The company announced on Friday the launch of its entry into the retail segment with Durashine range of colour coated steel products.

“The colour coated steel roofing and walling products would offer greater durability, higher strength, better thermal efficiency and would cater mainly to small industries and the household segment,” Mr Ali said. The products would be 25-30 per cent costlier compared with galvanised steel sheets.