PM Modi has inaugurated the upgraded steel plant of IISCO that has India’s largest blast furnace plant and has been expanded and modernized at a cost of Rs.16,000 crore. Modi dedicated the plant to the nation at a function held in Kolkata. Now the plant’s production capacity has increased from 0.85 million tonnes per annum to 2.9 million tonnes per annum.
The Steel Authority of India has said that it would make fresh investments of more than Rs 40,000 crore by 2025 to expand its two steel units in the state. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accompanied Modi in the inauguration function.
Tidbits
- IISCO (Indian Iron and Steel Co) was taken over by the central government in 1972
- IISCO was made a fully-owned subsidiary of SAIL in 1978.
- SAIL is one of the top steel makers in the World. The annual production of SAIL exceeds 13.5 million metric tons.
- SAIL was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in New Delhi.
- Chandra Sekhar Verma is the current Chairman of SAIL.
GK Questions
- SAIL operates how many integrated steel plants in India? Where are they located? SAIL operated 5 integrated steel plants in India. They are at Rourkela, Bhilai, Durgapur, Bokaro and Burnpur.
- SAIL’s Ferro Alloy Plant is located in _____? Chandrapur, Maharashtra.
- What is India’s position globally in Steel Production? Third.