The Ministry of Steel of India is intensifying efforts to boost domestic collection volumes of ferrous scrap. According to reports from SteelOrbis, the government is considering the establishment of a permanent interdepartmental body to coordinate actions among various industries to expand the scrap metal collection base. Currently, the country imports 25% of the required scrap, but officials aim to engage sectors with high potential for its production, such as machinery, consumer goods manufacturing, and others.
This is reported by Business • Media
The Ministry of Steel has already initiated discussions with other departments to develop an appropriate strategy. This comes amid proposals to restrict the export of scrap metal to the EU and other countries. Under existing government regulations, incentives are offered to owners for scrapping vehicles that have reached the end of their service life. The relevant ministry is considering extending this scheme to other sectors that could provide additional scrap generation.
Plans to Increase Scrap Metal Collection and Develop the Recycling Industry
According to the publication Economic Times, industry leaders emphasize the need to focus on increasing the collection of this resource. Sanjay Mehta, President of the Indian Material Recycling Association, noted that there is an urgent need to shift focus towards the recycling of consumer goods after their life cycle. Additionally, Akshay Gujral, Executive Director of Recycling and Sales Operations at ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India, expressed the view that shipbuilding yards in India have significant potential to increase the utilization of their capacities.
According to data, in the financial year from April 2024 to February 2025, India increased its import of metal products by 15.8% compared to the same period last year, reaching 8.98 million tons. Exports of finished metal products during the same period decreased by 33.7%, totaling 4.4 million tons. Thus, the country remains a net importer of steel products, primarily from South Korea and China.