Building India’s next 100 MTPA: Embedding execution excellence in steel project delivery

This article was first published in Manufacturing Today India Online on June 18 2026. Please click here to read the article.

India is on a strong growth trajectory and is poised to continue this path. From highways and railways to industrial corridors and manufacturing, steel remains the center of this progress. In view of this, the steel sector is expected to play a crucial role in country’s next phase of growth.

India’s steel industry has made substantial progress over the last few years, crossing 200 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of installed capacity and determining itself as a key pillar of the country’s industrial development. The next milestone of 300 MTPA by 2030 is a defining phase in India’s industrial evolution. It will test the industry’s ability to deliver large scale projects effectively and consistently. Announcements of significant investments across both greenfield and brownfield projects showcase strong confidence in India’s long term demand outlook.

However, as many industry leaders believe, the focus now needs to shift from investment commitments to actual execution.

The scale of expansion planned across India’s steel sector is substantial. Investments exceeding Rs.10 lakh crore have been announced across value chain, spanning both capacity additions and modernisation initiatives. While traditional steel-producing states such as Odisha and Jharkhand continue to attract major investment, new projects are also taking shape in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, representing continued industrial development in the country.

However, delivering projects at this scale brings its own set of challenges. Projects have majorly experienced schedule delays, cost escalations, execution bottleneck and in some cases project timelines extended way beyond original estimates. These experiences highlight that achieving growth will require strong project planning and governance, not just investments. With industry expansion the need to deliver the projects on time within budget will be highly important.

For steel producers, the challenge today is not simply creating additional capacity but to bring that capacity online as planned. Delays in engineering, construction or procurement can impact project costs and returns on investments. As a result, project execution has become a key factor in the journey of success. The ability to deliver projects within budget and on schedule will determine how effectively investments are being utilised. With steel demand expected to be on the rise in coming years, efficient and reliable project delivery will be the key aspect in the growth.

To meet the future capacity requirements, the industry must rethink how projects are planned and executed. Much of the focus needs to start at the planning stage, where the rework can be reduced, coordination can be improved, and schedule disturbances can be minimised later in the project lifecycle.

A growing case of standardisation and modular construction can also be seen. Fabricating components offsite and organising them at the project location can help productivity while ensuring better quality and safety. Whereas digital tools such as BIM (Building Information Modelling), Drone Analytics, Digital Dashboards and emerging AI technologies, also help in faster decision making and greater visibility. Lastly, it is equally important to have the availability of skilled manpower, engineering resources, capable contractors and reliable suppliers as this has a direct impact on the project timelines. Strengthening these areas will require coordinated efforts across industry stakeholders and policy makers.

China’s rise as the world’s largest steel producer was supported not just by investments but also by a strong focus on project execution and integrated delivery approaches. These practices improved efficiency and project timelines over time. While global practices can provide direction but for India the opportunity lies in adapting relevant lessons on its own operating environment and eventually success will depend on project realities on the ground and how local conditions are best aligned with the global practices.

The journey towards 300 MTPA is more than industry milestone, it is linked to India’s broader development aspirations. As a key enabler of industrial growth, manufacturing and infrastructure, the steel sector will play an important role in supporting the vision of “Viksit Bharat” by 2047.

The industry leaders, including public sector organisations, have emphasised that achieving this goal will require much more than capacity expansion. The wider ecosystem, technology and investment in talent will be highly crucial. The next phase of growth looks challenging but with coordinated efforts across industry and policy makers can be certainly achieved.