Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in consultation with Ministry of Steel has been taking steps to ensure that only quality steel is produced in the country or imported from outside. In this direction, 151 BIS standards have been notified and have been covered by Quality Control Orders (QCOs) by Ministry of Steel, in line with the vision of the Government for Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat and to ensure that only quality steel is made available to the end users & the public at large. This ensures that the steel produced domestically or imported into the country conforms to BIS standards and sub-standard steel is neither produced nor imported.

Any import of steel from outside can be done with a BIS licence. However, some steel grades, which are not yet covered by BIS standards, can be imported with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Ministry of Steel. The applications are looked into diligently by a committee constituted for this purpose. The committee takes decisions on the NOC applications as per prescribed norms. A new portal has already been put in place to further streamline the NOC application process.

Steel is a de-regulated sector where prices of steel are determined by market dynamics and fluctuate depending on its availability. The Government acts as a facilitator, by creating a conducive policy environment for the development of steel sector in the country.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

 

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