Goyal seeks deeper India-Japan cooperation in steel technology and sustainable production

India is looking to deepen its partnership with Japan in the steel sector, with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal holding discussions with senior executives of Nippon Steel and JFE Steel during his visit to Japan.

Goyal met Nippon Steel Chairman and CEO Eiji Hashimoto in Tokyo, along with other senior company executives, to discuss cooperation in steelmaking, technology transfer and sustainable production. He also held talks with JFE Steel President Masayuki Hirose and senior officials on opportunities to strengthen India-Japan collaboration in the sector.

The discussions come as India seeks to expand domestic steelmaking capacity while encouraging the adoption of more advanced and sustainable production technologies.

Goyal urges Japanese companies to source Indian steel

During a separate roundtable with Japanese businesses, Goyal urged companies to consider sourcing competitively priced, quality-compliant steel from India rather than relying primarily on supplies from Japan.

He also defended India’s decision to impose a safeguard duty on lower-grade steel. According to media reports, Goyal said the policy was intended to provide a degree of protection to domestic steel producers while allowing higher-grade steel products to continue entering the Indian market.

The minister pointed to global steel overcapacity, particularly in China, as one of the factors prompting countries to adopt trade-protection measures. India remains a net importer of steel and needs continued investment in new capacity, he said, adding that investors also need protection against potential dumping.

Japan visit brings wider business engagement

Goyal’s visit to Japan began on August 24, with the minister leading what the Indian Embassy described as India’s largest-ever business delegation to the country. The delegation includes more than 200 representatives from sectors such as steel and manufacturing, semiconductors, clean energy, automobiles and finance.

The visit has included meetings with Japanese political and business leaders, with steel emerging as one of the key areas for deeper industrial cooperation.

For India’s steel industry, stronger engagement with Japanese companies could support access to advanced technologies while creating opportunities for greater integration between the two countries’ manufacturing ecosystems.

The delegation is scheduled to remain in Japan until August 27, as India continues to pursue investment, technology partnerships and stronger trade ties with Japanese industry.