STEEL REINFORCEMENT FOR INDIA

Common world opinion is that India will become a global economic power and a reasonably developed country in 15 to 20 years. China has shown the way and India can take a leaf out of what China has done but it definitely needs to avoid past mistakes if it is to take its rightful place in the comity of nations. Steel, especially steel reinforcement, is a key to achieving this goal. It is estimated that India would need about 35 million tonnes of rebars per year in 2020s as against 7 million tonnes today. One therefore needs to have proper policies and IS codes in place – which take into account the ground realities - at the earliest. Globally ‘quenching & tempering’ technology has been the main process used for rebars in most countries whereas India got bogged down for three decades with CTD rebars and is now losing its way with “TMT” bars. An attempt is made to suggest what is needed in the years ahead in this important segment.