Magazine : 
Government Pushes Steel Sector To Adopt AI And Modern Mining Tech
- Government urges India's steel sector to accelerate AI adoption and modern mining techniques to boost efficiency and competitiveness
- At Odisha’s two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’, Union Steel Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy called for collective R&D, digitalisation, and innovation across public and private stakeholders
- Rising steel demand and infrastructure growth make AI-driven productivity, predictive maintenance, and sustainability essential to build a resilient, future-ready industry
The Indian government has asked the domestic steel industry to fast-track its adoption of artificial intelligence and modern mining techniques to improve efficiency and competitiveness. During a two-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ held in Odisha, Union Steel Minister H. D. Kumaraswamy underscored that strengthening research and development and embracing technologies like AI, machine learning, and digitalization lies at the heart of transforming the steel sector.
Kumaraswamy's remarks underlined the need for collective action among all players along the steel value chain, including both public and private stakeholders. He called upon CPSEs, industry leaders, and technology experts to come together to promote innovation, enhance operational excellence, and deepen the use of indigenous technological solutions. Government-owned firms such as SAIL, NMDC, MOIL, MECON, and MSTC were represented by officials during the event, with domain experts from organisations such as INSDAG, ISCA, and BISAG, among others, besides representatives from the private giants JSW Steel and Tata Steel.
Setting the deliberations against the backdrop of Odisha's mineral-rich geography, the strategic advantage of the state in mining and steel production due to its coastal access and rich raw material reserves was reflected. Discussions during the Shivir focused on ways to modernize India's mining practices, expand infrastructure, and boost production capacity through innovative technologies.
Officials also pointed out that rising steel demand, largely fired by India's ambitious infrastructure plans, makes it imperative for the steel sector to be more efficient and forward-looking. In this context, AI and digital tools are being seen not just as niceties but as necessities; they can help optimize mining operations, predict maintenance needs, manage assets more intelligently, and even ensure environmental sustainability by reducing waste.
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The Ministry of Steel has already laid down a framework encouraging public enterprises to use AI for a wide variety of functions-from predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making to safety management and quality control. The adoption of such technologies, the officials at the ministry argue, can improve productivity while reducing energy consumption and operational costs.
Analysts note that similar digital interventions are already yielding significant returns in India's metals and mining industry. A recent FICCI CRISIL report highlighted that digitalisation and automation could boost efficiency in the sector by up to 15 percent. That kind of gain in productivity could help firms offset other pressures like import competition and increasing costs.
Ultimately, the call of the government at this Shivir underlines an unmistakable shift: India’s steel sector needs to not only scale up its output but to do so intelligently, with sustainability and cutting-edge technology. In supporting AI-driven innovation and modern mining practices, policymakers are signaling that their commitment to making the Indian steel industry resilient, competitive, and future-ready will be long-term.
