Connect with us
हिंदी اردو
Tuesday,06-October-2026
Breaking News

Business

Indian stainless steel sector drowning in Chinese imports

Published

5 years ago

on

The first half of 2021-22 has seen a 185 per cent increase in stainless steel imports compared to the average monthly imports in the last fiscal, creating havoc for the Indian players.

The import tide of stainless steel from China and Indonesia is fast turning into a deluge destroying many companies on its way, and threatening the very existence of the small, medium and micro industries in India. After all, the first half of 2021-22 witnessed a staggering 185% increase in import volumes of stainless steel flat products compared to the average monthly imports in the last fiscal, fuelled mostly by surge in Chinese and Indonesian imports.

The two countries China and Indonesia, which increased their exports by 300 per cent and 339 per cent, respectively, in the first half of this fiscal compared to the average monthly imports of the last fiscal, now have a share of 79 per cent of the total stainless steel flat product imports in the first half of FY22. It is a significant jump compared to the 44 per cent share in FY21. The average per month imports has jumped from 34,105 tonnes per month in FY21 to 63,154 tonnes per month this current fiscal–FY 22.

Indonesia’s imports share, which was virtually non-existent in 2016-17, has climbed to 23 per cent in the first half of this fiscal, with its average monthly exports increasing from 4,355 tonnes/month in the last fiscal to 14,766 tonnes/month in the first half of this fiscal. China’s average monthly exports too has jumped from 10,697 tonnes/month in the last fiscal to 35,269 tonnes/month in the first half of this fiscal.

The surge in imports was the result of the Finance Ministry’s decision of September 30, 2021 to revoke the imposition of CVD on China (September 2017) and end provisional duties on Indonesia (October 2020), which was based on the recommendations of the Director-General of Trade Remedies (DGTR), after a detailed investigation. The investigation had revealed that the two countries were resorting to non-WTO compliant subsidies to boost their exports to India and causing injury to Indian manufacturers.

In fact, the DGTR and their global counterparts had conclusively proved in its final finding that both these countries provide non-WTO compliant subsidies to the tune of 20 per cent to 30 per cent to their stainless steel manufacturers. And, these subsidies have created an imbalance in the Indian and international markets, reduced the competitiveness of Indian products in the domestic industry, causing material injury and persistent financial stress for home-grown businesses. It has forced the domestic industry to seek redressal from the surge in imports.

In fact, in India a disaggregated study of imported products in the first half of the current fiscal also reveals how excessive dumping has taken place in a particular J3 grade of stainless steel in the country. Imports of J3, a subsidised and dumped 200 series grade of stainless steel, with about 1 per cent nickel and 13 per cent chromium from China, has jumped from an average of 1,779 tonnes/month in 2019 to an average of 4,425 tonnes/month in 20-21 (249 per cent increase) and to average 25,346 tonnes to in just six months of 2021-22 (1,424 per cent) increase compared to the same period last year.

The share of this grade in total imports from China increased 23 per cent in 2019-20 to 72 per cent in 2021-22. Much of this import is even below the scrap prices and it hurts the MSME sector, the hardest. Such dumping also means major losses in terms of national exchequer through tax evasion and revenue losses.

This onslaught of Chinese exports to India has decimated the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), which had to bear the brunt of the impact. In fact, the imposition of provisional CVD on Indonesia in October 2020 and CVD on China in place from September 2017, had provided a “level-playing field” to these players, which got a much-needed relief from the dumped subsidised imports. The MSME, an industry having the capacity to produce about 1.2 lakh tonnes of hot and cold-rolled flat products, was able to operate at 90 per cent plus capacity utilization between October 2020 to February 2021.

However, the MSME sector suddenly finds itself grasping for breath to survive after the announcements of the 2021-22 Budget. Small-scale stainless- steel rollers and re-rollers, who make ingots from recyclable scrap as the first step in stainless- steel product manufacturing, and then produce hot and cold rolled materials for the all-India market, find themselves swamped by a massive and subsidised surge of imports from China and Indonesia.

Today, more than 80 induction furnaces and 500 patti/patta units, which provides primary raw materials for various downstream industries, are in dire straits. These downstream industries manufacture a variety of stainless steel household goods such as kitchenware, tableware, cooking range, sanitary items, cutlery pots, etc.

Prakash Jain, President, All India Stainless Steel Cold Roller Association, says: “The smaller Indian stainless steel players finds it virtually impossible to compete with the state-subsidised Chinese players, who get an 18 per cent incentive to export, under invoice their products by changing the label of the products to avoid paying duties and sell it at Rs 15 to Rs 17 per tonne cheaper in the Indian market.”

According to Jain, Gujarat has 70 rolling mills, each employing around 300 people and 50 induction furnaces, which makes ingots, the raw material for rolling mills and employs 500 each.

Not only will many of these jobs be lost resulting in massive unemployment but force many manufacturers to turn traders unless the CVD is imposed on imports from China and Indonesia.

Post Views: 437
Related Tags:

Business

Sensex, Nifty open higher; private banks lead sectoral gains

Published

10 minutes ago

on

October 6, 2026

By

Mumbai, Oct 6: Indian equity benchmarks opened higher on Tuesday amid positive global cues and buying in private banking stocks.

Nifty opened at 22,603.25, an increase of 47.50 points or 0.21 per cent.

Meanwhile, Sensex opened at 72,508.05, up 125.58 points or 0.17 per cent.

Private banks led sectoral gains in early trade as Nifty Private Bank rose 0.75 per cent.

Nifty MidSmall IT & Telecom index gained 0.5 per cent, while the metal index advanced 0.32 per cent.

Notably, chemical, energy, financial services and cement were also trading higher, while PSU banks and FMCG were largely flat.

On the losing side, Nifty Auto fell 0.4 per cent, followed by healthcare, pharma and consumer durables indices. Realty, IT and media indices were also marginally lower.

Market experts said the near-term tone remained cautiously constructive, supported by a firm opening and improved global cues, although the broader setup remained tentative following the recent decline.

Analysts said a sustained recovery in the opening hours, backed by broader market participation, would be important to determine whether the current bounce can extend.

The market could remain in a ‘sell on rally’ mode as elevated US bond yields were likely to keep foreign institutional investors (FIIs) selling, even as domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to support large-cap stocks amid strong fund inflows, according to them.

The experts said a sustained market rally would require a sharp decline in crude oil prices, although there was currently no clear indication of such a move.

On the technical front, analysts see 23,100-23,220 as near-term objectives, with 22,800 likely to pose an intermediate hurdle.

A failure to move above the 22,555-22,615 band could signal further consolidation, while the downside is expected to remain limited around 22,050 for now.

Additionally, FIIs remained net sellers in Indian equities, offloading shares worth Rs 4,699 crore on Monday. DIIs provided support, making net purchases of Rs 5,181 crore.

In addition, Asian shares traded higher in early hours after a technology-led rally propelled the Nasdaq to a fresh record high.

Post Views: 57,018
Continue Reading

Business

Navi Mumbai Airport expands multimodal transport network ahead of winter flight schedule

Published

15 hours ago

on

October 5, 2026

By

Ahmedabad, Oct 5: Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is strengthening its public transport and ground mobility infrastructure ahead of the Winter Schedule 2026-27, with a wider network of buses, taxis, autorickshaws, car rentals, and airport shuttles aimed at improving connectivity across Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region, it was announced on Monday.

The airport, operated by Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), is preparing for the Winter Schedule that will run from October 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027.

As part of the expansion, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will launch e-Shivai electric bus services from NMIA on October 7.

The first phase of MSRTC services will connect the airport with Dadar, Borivali and Pune. Fares from NMIA have been set at Rs 450 for Pune, Rs 210 for Borivali, and Rs 170 for Dadar East. Children below 12 years and women travelling with a National Common Mobility Card will be eligible for a 50 per cent fare concession.

The Dadar-NMIA service will operate through Sion and Atal Setu, while the Borivali-NMIA route will connect CSMIA Terminal 1, Bandra, and Atal Setu. The Pune route will have two daily services, with one operating in the morning and another in the afternoon. MSRTC also plans to introduce services connecting NMIA with Thane and Nashik by mid-November.

Private bus operator Chalo Bus is already providing 21 daily services connecting NMIA with Marol in Andheri East, Bandra, Dadar, and the World Trade Centre in Colaba. The operator is also adding capacity during peak periods to cater to passenger and airport employee movement.

Within Navi Mumbai, Navi Mumbai Municipal Transport (NMMT) is operating seven dedicated airport routes, A1 to A7, linking Terminal 1 with Kharkopar, Targhar, Belapur, Nerul, Panvel, Khandeshwar and the Airport Project Office. Services between Belapur and Nerul are available every 15-20 minutes during peak hours, while further connectivity to Vashi and Panvel is planned.

The airport is also expanding taxi and last-mile connectivity. Uber Go and Uber Premier will provide app-based cab services, while Uber Auto will cater to passengers seeking on-demand autorickshaw services for shorter journeys. Prepaid taxi and autorickshaw facilities, along with car rental services, are also being introduced at the airport.

Bharat Taxi is scheduled to begin operations at NMIA from October 10 with a dedicated fleet of up to 40 vehicles, adding another option for passengers travelling to and from the airport.

A complimentary inter-airport shuttle service is also being introduced between NMIA and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Operated by Cityflo, Aarya and Chalo, the shuttle will run every hour and provide passengers with a direct transfer option between Mumbai’s two airports.

Overall ground transport capacity at NMIA is being scaled up to 4,594 vehicles and services, including 3,787 app-based taxis, 184 car rentals, 171 autorickshaws and 547 buses. The airport is also deploying mobility signage, improved wayfinding systems and on-ground passenger assistance, with designated areas for buses, shuttles, arrivals, departures and private vehicles.

Post Views: 68,697
Continue Reading

Business

Indian markets open higher amid positive global cues; PSU bank stocks lead

Published

24 hours ago

on

October 5, 2026

By

Mumbai, Oct 5: Indian equity benchmarks opened sharply higher on Monday, tracking gains across Asian markets after softer-than-expected US jobs data tempered expectations of an immediate Federal Reserve rate hike.

Nifty opened at 22,532.40, an increase of more than 100 points or 0.49 per cent.

Similarly, Sensex began the trading session up over 400 points or 0.6 per cent at 72,340.95.

Moreover, the broader market sentiment was positive with most sectoral indices trading in the green in early deals. Nifty PSU Bank, Nifty Media, and Nifty Metal gained up to 1 per cent.

Nifty Realty advanced 0.93 per cent, while Nifty Chemicals, Nifty FMCG and Nifty Oil & Gas gained between 0.8 per cent and 0.85 per cent.

Nifty Private Bank and Nifty Consumer Durables were also trading higher in morning trade. While Nifty IT, Nifty Auto and Nifty Pharma were seen flat.

On the other hand, healthcare stocks were only trading marginally lower as Nifty 500 Healthcare and Nifty Healthcare Index declined 0.07 per cent and 0.12 per cent, respectively.

Market experts said markets could see a near-term rebound after eight consecutive weeks of declines.

However, elevated crude oil prices, high US bond yields and continued foreign institutional investor selling remain key headwinds, they said.

“Valuations have turned attractive, particularly for large-caps,” the experts said and added that the market may be better placed to withstand the prevailing headwinds.

Positive September automobile sales data also point to continued resilience in the domestic economy, according to them.

The Reserve Bank of India is widely expected to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday with the move largely priced into the market, according to the experts.

Banks could benefit from the rate hike as higher floating lending rates may support margins, they added.

In addition, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) remained net sellers in the previous trading session with a net outflow of Rs 9,484 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) continued to provide support with net purchases of Rs 10,041 crore.

Additionally, crude oil prices eased with international benchmark Brent crude trading nearly 1 per cent lower at $101.27 a barrel.

Post Views: 66,235
Continue Reading

Trending