CM happy over turnaround of Vizag steel plant

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday reviewed the progress of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (RINL) at the Secretariat and expressed satisfaction over the remarkable turnaround achieved by the public sector unit within a short span. The review meeting was attended by Union Steel Secretary Sandeep Poundrik, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant CMD Manish Raj Gupta, Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand, and senior officials from the Centre and the State.

Officials informed the Chief Minister that with coordinated support from the Central and State governments, the steel plant has achieved unprecedented progress in the last one-and-a-half years, moving from heavy losses to a profitable path. Hot metal production has risen sharply to 19,401 tonnes per day, compared to just 9,215 tonnes per day during the second quarter of 2024–25. The significant increase in output was attributed to the operation of all three blast furnaces.

The capacity utilisation of the plant has reached a record 94 percent, a sharp rise from about 45 per cent during the second quarter of 2024–25.

Financially, RINL has staged a strong recovery, turning around from a loss of Rs 486 crore in September 2024 to a profit of Rs 54 crore in January 2026. Officials also noted that the Rs 11,000 crore assistance extended by the Central government played a crucial role in stabilising the plant, and that RINL’s credit rating has improved.

The Chief Minister advised the management to introduce new policies across all departments to further strengthen the plant. He emphasised the efficient utilisation of workers and employees to achieve better results and said that management, workforce and governments must work together to take Visakhapatnam Steel to greater heights. Recalling the reforms implemented in Singareni during the united State, he expressed confidence that similar cooperation would ensure sustained success. He assured full support from the State government to Visakhapatnam Steel.