Reduction in import duty on raw materials and finished products of steel, and higher allocation under infrastructure and housing for all schemes in the Budget could augur well for the domestic industry.
Additionally, the government will have to carry out a balancing act on steel pricing to protect the MSME sector, which suffered significantly in early 2021, brokerages said.
Public capex has been relatively soft over the past few years and is expected to pick up from FY23. Construction and infrastructure sectors form 60 per cent of domestic steel demand.
The Indian Steel Association (ISA) wants basic Customs duty on