Making the steel manufacturing sector competitive will help India's exports and manufacturing sectors, said Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

In a discussion, both the Ministers assured the steel industry that Ministries of Commerce & Industry and Steel will make all efforts to ensure that engineering goods exports double in the next 5 years and reach USD 200 billion by 2030.

This will not only boost India’s exports but will also generate jobs in the manufacturing sector especially the MSME sector, they opined.

Although India is the second largest manufacturers of steel but India is also a net importer of steel.

Representatives of the steel industry and the Engineering Export Councils discussed in detail with Commerce and Steel Ministers the protectionist measures being imposed by other countries and the under-utilised capacity in steel manufacturing in India.

Goyal and Pradhan discussed at length the measures that both Commerce and Industry and Steel Ministry may take, both tariff and non-tariff, to reduce unnecessary imports and boost exports.

The MSME sector steel manufacturers urged steel producers to supply raw material at concessional prices so that the MSME sector can compete in international markets.

The meeting was also attended by high officials from both the ministries, all members of EEPCs, Indian Steel Association, steel makers and manufacturers and other associations of the steel sector.