Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy, during his visit to the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), unveiled an ambitious roadmap to double the plant’s capacity to 9.8 million tonnes by 2030. Calling RSP a key pillar of India’s steel sector, the Minister praised its six-decade legacy and the consistent improvements in production and efficiency.

During the visit, he inaugurated a modern 1 MTPA Slab Caster at Steel Melting Shop-2, built at a cost of around ?1,100 crore, and reviewed progress on the Coke Oven Battery 7 and the new Pellet Plant. He highlighted that the Odisha Group of Mines has increased output by over 5% this year and is expected to reach about 15 million tonnes in FY26, further strengthening raw material security for RSP.

Kumaraswamy announced plans to invest about ?30,000 crore to double RSP’s capacity, along with an additional ?9,000 crore for plant modernisation. He said the Centre is working closely with the Odisha Government to ensure smooth execution of these projects.

The Minister added that the expansion will boost employment for local youth, create opportunities for MSMEs, and enhance community development. The increased capacity will also help RSP emerge as a major producer of high-quality and special steel.

Linking the initiative to national goals, he reiterated that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, India aims to scale steel production capacity to 300 million tonnes by 2030–31, reduce import dependency, and promote specialty steel under the PLI Scheme.

Kumaraswamy said Rourkela is poised to become one of India’s premier steel hubs, benefitting the region, the state, and the nation at large.