India’s Demand Shields Steel Sector from China’s Export Flood, Says Tata Steel CEO

Tata Steel’s Managing Director and CEO, T.V. Narendran, has highlighted the mounting challenges faced by the global steel industry, largely due to China’s aggressive export push. Speaking about market dynamics, he revealed that China exports nearly 9–10 million tonnes of steel every month, often at prices considered unviable even for Chinese producers themselves. This trend, he noted, has made global competition extremely difficult.

Despite these global headwinds, Narendran stressed that India’s strong domestic demand continues to act as a shield for local steel producers. “It’s very difficult for anyone to compete with such pricing,” he explained, adding that robust consumption in India has provided the much-needed buffer against international price pressures.

On the domestic front, Tata Steel’s Kalinganagar expansion project is progressing steadily, with production ramp-up on schedule. This milestone keeps the company aligned with its targets for the 2025–26 financial year. Narendran also welcomed the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) simplification, which allows carbon costs already paid in India to be deducted from EU adjustments. He believes this creates a fairer system and an opportunity for India to leverage its competitive advantage.

While addressing trade matters, Narendran emphasized that direct exports to the U.S. are limited for Tata Steel. However, negotiations remain important due to their indirect impact on downstream customers. He added that Tata Steel’s focus lies in ensuring benefits flow to its customers, thereby indirectly strengthening its own position.

Narendran further underlined the Indian steel industry’s competitiveness and long-term investment strength. He pointed out that companies like Tata Steel and its peers invest close to ₹40,000–50,000 crore annually. To sustain growth, he urged the government to continue infrastructure spending, ease business regulations, and provide safeguards against unfairly priced imports.

With a market capitalization of around ₹2.14 lakh crore and shares gaining nearly 14% in the past year, Tata Steel remains one of India’s strongest industrial players. Narendran’s remarks reinforce optimism that India’s growth story and rising demand will continue to provide resilience to the domestic steel sector, even as global markets face turbulence.