New Era Of Steel Manufacturing And Market Dynamics

Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I earned a B.Sc. (Tech) in Ceramics in 1979 from Calcutta University, followed by an M.Tech in Operational Research & Business Management from NIT, Durgapur (formerly Regional Engineering College, Durgapur). I began my career with the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL), a Central Government PSU, in 1980 as a Management Trainee (Technical) and retired in 2019 as the Chief General Manager of Durgapur Steel Plant, a unit of SAIL. My entire tenure was dedicated to serving as a Refractory Maintenance Engineer at an Integrated Steel Plant, where my responsibilities included organizing the relining, repairing, selection, and procurement of refractory materials, as well as monitoring refractory performance in various metallurgical ovens, furnaces, and vessels involved in the production, processing, and shaping of coke, iron, and steel. The Refractory Maintenance Department, where I worked, is a centralized maintenance department within an integrated steel plant.

Q2. What emerging trends in steelmaking (e.g. EAF, DRI) could alter refractory material demand in India?

As of now, the trend in an integrated Steel Plant is to follow the processes mentioned below:

• Coal to…