Centre to mandate local steel use for infra projects

Wants to triple local production over next decade; move to boost sales of domestic companies

India may soon mandate the use of local steel in government infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars, sources said, pitching it as a WTO-compliant protectionist measure aimed at further cutting cheap imports, mainly from China. The government expects the move to boost sales of local companies such as JSW Steel and Tata Steel, and eventually attract global steelmakers such as ArcelorMittal and Posco to invest in the country, five steel ministry sources told Reuters.

India, the world's third largest steel consumer, has budgeted a record $59 billion for 2017-18 for steel-intensive infrastructure projects such as ports, roads, railways and power. "The