AM/NS India launches Optigal®, world-class product with longest warranty

Hyderabad Aug, 2024: Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) – a joint venture between Arcelor Mittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steelmakers – announces the launch of Optigal® - a world-class colour coated steel brand with an innovative Zinc-Aluminium-Magnesium (ZAM) metallic coating.

This high-end value-added steel ‘Optigal®’ – ArcelorMittal Europe’s patented brand – is currently available only in global markets but now it is being produced and distributed in India for the first time by AM/NS India. The new offering reinforces the company’s pioneering efforts to introduce internationally benchmarked quality products to meet the growing need for indigenous superior quality coated steel.

Launched by Mr Dilip Oommen, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), during a glittering event held recently at Kochi in Kerala, this product also underscores AM/NS India’s commitment to the 'Make in India' initiative. Optigal® provides the longest warranty of any colour-coated steel product in India, extending up to 25 years, thus marking a disruptive entry into India’s specialty steel sector.

The annual demand for colour-coated products in India, currently at 3.2 million tonnes, is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8-10%. Optigal’s production has commenced at the company’s plant at Pune in Maharashtra, marking the first phase of a broader production strategy that will extend to other facilities in the near future.

AM/NS India currently has a colour-coated capacity of about 700,000 tonnes, with plans to ramp up the capacity to 1 million tonnes by 2026. With this capacity expansion, the company’s market share is projected to grow from the current 20-22% to 25-27%.

The new offering’s production process uses a unique ZAM alloy technology that involves hot dip coating of steel strip in a bath of zinc, aluminium, and magnesium alloy. The inclusion of magnesium enhances both performance and durability. The ideal combination of substrate and paint ensures high formability and improved corrosion protection for construction products. Optigal® is an eco-friendly product, free of hexavalent chromium and heavy metals, designed to reduce environmental impact and promote safety and sustainability.

Mr RANJAN DHAR, DIRECTOR AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING AT ARCELORMITTAL NIPPON STEEL INDIA (AM/NS INDIA), said, “The introduction of Optigal® is an important addition to our growing product portfolio. This launch reaffirms our commitment to delivering word-class, innovative, and sustainable steels to our customers nationwide in line with our brand promise – ‘Smarter Steels, Brighter Futures’. The efforts also reflect our corporate campaign 'Banaunga Main, Banega Bharat', apart from highlighting our contribution to ‘Make in India’ initiative.”

The versatility of Optigal® makes it a highly attractive option for a wide range of applications, such as roofing, fencing, and cladding for residential and commercial projects, reliable materials for pre-engineered buildings, and high-performance steel for architectural facades, including airports, industrial warehouses, and stadiums.

Key benefits of Optigal® include:

1. Exceptional cut-edge protection: leading to much lower paint delamination on edges and scratches with a performance that is at least 3x better than other metal coatings.

2. Superior corrosion resistance: Optigal®'s unique alloy composition, with an optimal balance of zinc, aluminium, and magnesium, offers superior corrosion resistance.

3. Optimised flexibility: The highly resistant, adherent metallic layer of specially designed Optigal® coating can be processed through bending, roll forming, profiling, and other work processes without developing cracks on the bends.

4. Globally benchmarked product: The product is internationally tested and certified.

ABOUT ARCELORMITTAL NIPPON STEEL INDIA (AM/NS India):

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) is a joint venture between ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel, two of the world’s leading steel manufacturing organisations. A leading integrated flat carbon steel producer in India, the company has a crude steel capacity of 9 million tonnes per annum with state-of-the-art downstream facilities. It produces a fully diversified range of flat steel products, including value-added steel, and has a pellet capacity of 20 million tonnes.