SAIL to prioritise value‑added, special steel products after strong FY26 gains
New Delhi, June 8
India's largest steelmaking public sector company Steel Authority of India Limited on Monday said it will prioritise value‑added and special steel products with sharper focus on customer engagement and cost optimization.
Outlining its future plans, the company said it is firmly committed to volume expansion and cost optimisation, which are aligned with the government's vision of Viksit Bharat@2047.
Despite ongoing global volatility, the company had reported a robust EBITDA growth of 11.75 per cent in FY26 over the corresponding period last year.
The company's Profit After Tax (PAT) and Profit Before Tax both surged by roughly 50 per cent and roughly 44 per cent respectively during FY26 while simultaneously reducing debt by Rs 8,148 crore over CPLY.
"Our performance in FY26 reflects the combined effect of marketing initiatives, production improvements, efficiency gains and better financial strategies, which have strengthened both the top line and bottom line. The company's financial health is sound and with strong group synergy, we are well-positioned to achieve our FY27 targets," said SAIL Chairman & Managing Director Dr. Ashok Kumar Panda.
He added that the company will focus on reducing working capital borrowings, which have already contributed to a significant improvement in profitability.
SAIL undertook a series of initiatives in FY26 that enhanced its competitiveness and resilience, such as expanding retail networks, customer outreach & delivery innovations, export & market diversification, modernising warehouses, diversifying product offerings, improving techno-economic parameters and brand promotions.
The company also achieved best‑ever techno‑economic parameters in areas such as coke rate, fuel rate, blast furnace productivity and specific energy consumption, reflecting continuous operational excellence.
Further, 28 new products were developed, enlarging SAIL's product basket, and the company said it is adopting more environment‑friendly technologies.
SAIL in April said it recorded best‑ever sales of 20.14 million tonnes (MT) in FY26, up 11.5 per cent over the prior year's 18.07 million tonnes.
This growth was broad-based, with sales rising across all product categories, the company said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Happy to see SAIL diversifying into special steels. We need to reduce dependence on imports for high-grade steel used in automotive and defence sectors. Hope they also focus on R&D and green steel. 28 new products is a good start but there's a long way to go.
As an industrial analyst, I'm impressed by SAIL's techno-economic improvements—coke rate, fuel rate, blast furnace productivity, all best-ever. That's real operational excellence. But I'm watching their working capital reduction closely; if they can sustain profitability while cutting borrowings, that's a game changer.
Good numbers, but will customers get the benefit? Steel prices have been volatile and many small businesses are struggling. Hope SAIL's cost optimization doesn't mean layoffs or supplier squeeze. Viksit Bharat should mean prosperity for everyone, not just the company's bottom line.
Record sales of 20.14 MT is impressive. SAIL seems to be navigating global volatility well. The export diversification and modernizing warehouses are smart moves. But with global steel oversupply, especially from China, they need to stay competitive on quality and pricing.
Really proud of SAIL! My father worked there for 30 years and he always said the company had potential. Finally seeing them focus on value-added products instead of just plain steel. The 28 new products are exciting. But hope they also work on environmental-friendly technologies as mentioned—steel plants cause a lot of pollution.
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