Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy Inaugurates Chintan Shivir in Bhubaneswar to Shape Roadmap for India’s Steel Sector

The two-day Chintan Shivir aimed at charting a long-term roadmap for India’s steel sector began today at Mayfair Convention, Bhubaneswar. The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of Steel H. D. Kumaraswamy, in the presence of Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Minister of State for Steel, Hemant Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary (Industries), Government of Odisha, and Sandeep Poundrik, Secretary, Ministry of Steel.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Steel, heads of CPSUs including SAIL, NMDC, MOIL, MECON, MSTC, experts from INSDAG, ISCA, BISAG, and representatives from leading private companies such as TATA Steel and JSW participated in the strategic deliberations.

In his inaugural address, Minister Kumaraswamy expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for steering India’s steel industry towards resilience and growth. He emphasized the crucial role of the steel sector in nation-building, underlining the government’s commitment to boosting capacity, enabling innovation, and strengthening self-reliance. The Minister also highlighted the need for adopting cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Digitalization to enhance operational excellence and global competitiveness. Stressing the importance of sustained investment in research and development, he said that synergy among all stakeholders is essential for India’s ascent as a global steel powerhouse.

Minister of State Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma reiterated the sector’s importance in driving national infrastructure development. He noted that the themes of the Chintan Shivir were aligned with enhancing the sector’s contribution to India’s economic growth. Odisha’s Additional Chief Secretary Hemant Sharma emphasized the state’s mineral-rich and coastal advantages, making it an ideal destination for steel and allied industries.

Setting the tone for the Shivir, Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik highlighted the value of such platforms in understanding emerging challenges and opportunities in the sector. He stressed the importance of collaboration between CPSUs and the private sector for sharing best practices and accelerating technological adoption. Poundrik also urged CPSUs to rely on internal talent for driving innovation and noted that young executives were encouraged to share their ideas, with the most promising ones being invited to present during the sessions.

Day one of the Chintan Shivir featured in-depth discussions on technology-driven innovation, operational excellence, indigenous technology development, and modern mining methods. These discussions focused on upgrading infrastructure, enhancing capacity, and improving efficiency across the steel value chain. Policymakers, industry leaders, and technical specialists contributed to shaping a long-term strategy for strengthening the steel sector.

The Shivir will continue tomorrow with sessions dedicated to long-term strategies, stakeholder partnerships, and actionable outcomes aimed at reinforcing the steel sector’s role in India’s economic and industrial growth.