AI Adoption Key to Advancing India's Steel Industry, Says Kumaraswamy

• Minister urges rapid adoption of AI, ML and digitalisation in steel industry.
• Emphasis on R&D investment to drive innovation and long-term industry competitiveness.
• Experts stress private–public collaboration and faster technology implementation in CPSEs.

Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries H.D. Kumaraswamy stated that the steel industry must quickly adopt technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digitalisation to enhance competitiveness and achieve operational excellence.

At the start of a two-day conference in Bhubaneswar, Kumaraswamy highlighted the essential significance of steel in nation-building and reaffirmed the Centre’s dedication to enhancing capacity, encouraging innovation, and supporting self-sufficiency. He met with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to discuss the expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), which he also toured.

The conference signifies the start of a focused conversation regarding the future of India’s steel sector. Kumaraswamy emphasized the importance of continuous investment in research and development and stated that collaboration among all stakeholders would guarantee the sector's sustained growth and competitiveness, significantly supporting national advancement.

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The Minister of State for Steel, Bhupathi Raju Srinivasa Varma, emphasized the vital importance of steel in infrastructure development and stated that all conference themes are focused on enhancing the industry and expanding its role in national growth.

Steel secretary Sandeep Poundrik stated that the involvement of the private sector with central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) would facilitate the exchange of best practices, noting that India’s increasing steel consumption is driven by infrastructure investments. He stressed the importance of quicker implementation of new technologies in CPSEs and pointed out that these initiatives should be driven by internal expertise.

The initial day of the conference included sessions on innovation driven by technology, operational excellence, indigenous technologies, and contemporary mining practices, with conversations centered around enhancing infrastructure, increasing capacity, and boosting efficiency.