Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries, H D Kumaraswamy, unveiled a significant Rs 20,000-crore expansion plan for Steel Authority of India Limited's (SAIL) Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL).

This ambitious project will increase the plant’s production capacity from the current 5.25 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 7.55 MTPA.

Established in 1965, the Bokaro Steel Plant began operations with a modest capacity of 1.7 MTPA and a blast furnace in 1972.

The new expansion will bolster India’s steel production capabilities and contribute to the nation’s self-reliance, aligning with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The expansion will include key upgrades such as a new 4,500-cubic-metre blast furnace, a thin slab casting and direct rolling facility, a calcining plant, a stamp-charge coke oven battery, and an expanded sinter plant. 

These enhancements aim to strengthen India’s steel industry and meet growing demand.

Kumaraswamy highlighted the economic and employment impact of the expansion, which will create 2,500 permanent jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs. 

"This expansion is a testament to India’s commitment to self-reliance in steel production and aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a 300 MTPA steel industry by 2030," he said.

In addition to increasing production, the project focuses on sustainability and decarbonization.

Bokaro Steel Plant aims to reduce its carbon emissions from 2.67 tonnes per tonne of crude steel to under 2.2 tonnes by 2030.