India’s steel consumption rises 8% in September; first-half imports climb 23.8%

India’s finished steel consumption rose 8% year-on-year to 14.4 million tonnes in September 2026, outpacing production growth and keeping the country a net importer of finished steel. Crude steel production increased 3.4% year-on-year to 14.1 million tonnes, while finished steel output rose 1.9% to 13.4 million tonnes.