Indian Steel Minister: Coke Imports to Reach 160 Million Tons by 2030

India's steel minister said coke imports will accelerate due to limited availability of the key steelmaking ingredient amid increased steel production capacity. Steel Minister Sandeep Pundrik explained that coke imports will reach 160 million tons by 2030, compared to about 58 million tons currently. Coke imports declined 0.7% year-on-year in fiscal 2025 due to lower shipments from Australia and the United States, despite increased steel production. Pundrik said earlier this week that India is on track to achieve its target of expanding steel production capacity to 300 million tons by 2030. The country's steel production reached 151.1 million tons in fiscal 2025, with total steel production capacity reaching 200 million tons. The minister pointed out that the problem of adding steel production capacity in the country is related to logistics, adding that the preferred mode of transportation for steel, which is in high demand across the country, is railways because it is cheaper than road transport. Bundrick noted that the concentration of major steel mills in the states of Odisha and Karnataka poses a problem due to railway congestion. Major Indian steel companies, such as Tata Steel, JSW Steel, and Jindal Steel, have plants in Odisha.