Product differentiation key to meet competition: SAIL Chairman

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) chairman P K Singh today said product differentiation and the drive to match the best in quality and variety hold the key to meet stiff competition in this era of high over-capacities.
"In present scenario, only the best in the class will survive. At a time of high over-capacities across the world, product differentiation is the need of the hour. We have to match the best in quality, variety and standards," Singh said during a visit to SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP).
The SAIL chairman, who interacted with a cross section of around 700 employees, threw light on the current scenario in the steel industry and exhorted them that transformation of SAIL has begun and "Let us all be part of it".

Addressing the gathering, Singh further said that Rourkela has one of the best workforces in the industry where the ramping up after modernisation was achieved in one of the shortest times.
Noting that these interactions are aimed at enthusing the collective to exploit full potential of installed technologies and manpower, he said in the current challenging times, company's targets and priorities have to widely disseminate at all SAIL units.
RSP, which boasts of a 4300 mm wide state-of-the-art New Plate Mill, has carved a name for itself as a unique producer of special grades of steels. This mill has the potential to capture demand from niche segments and be the desired choice for top consumers.

Stepping decisively in the direction of 'Make in India,' the plant has teamed up with the Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL) and the Indian Navy to develop special grade DMR-249A steel plates for Indian Naval requirements.

Also, the plant will meet the indigenous requirements of various sectors including manufacturing, power and the construction sector, a statement from RSP said.
RSP's New Plate Mill along with Special Plate Plant have created unique facilities for making of special grades steels for defence applications thereby increasing the capacity of quenched, tempered plates with desired ballistic qualities. The plant also aims at catering to niche markets as well as to reduce the import burden on nation.

Plates with newer specifications (like API 5L X-70 PSL-2 grade), cost effective and quality plates for the construction sector produced using TMCP (Thermo Mechanically Controlled Process) are featuring in the new product basket of SAIL and import substituting products aimed for defence sector are already under development.
Besides, the New Plate Mill is rolling boiler quality plates of a thickness of 140 mm in the grade IS 2002 GR-II, which is again an import substitution product, it added.
SAIL's Director (Finance) Anil Chaudhary, Director (Technical) Raman and CEO, RSP Ashwini Kumar were also part of the intensive interaction with the employees during the brainstorming session.