Try GOLD - Free
Steel prices hiked again amid rising exports
Business Standard
|January 19, 2026
The imposition of safeguard duty, an uptick in exports, and an increase in input cost are driving steel prices higher.
The latest round of price increase took place on Friday, with some steel mills increasing hot-rolled coil (HRC) prices by ₹500-750 a tonne, according to price reporting and market intelligence firm Big-Mint. HRC is a benchmark for flat steel.
"This is the second price hike this month; other mills are also expected to follow suit," Hemant Dewangan, analyst at Big-Mint said.
With this, the list price of HRC has increased by ₹3,000-5,250 a tonne since the middle of December to ₹50,500-51,750 a tonne from various mills. At the trade level (distributor to dealer), HRC prices increased by about ₹6,000 a tonne to ₹52,000 a tonne as on Friday.
Multiple factors have led to the price push. "Steel prices are rising due to cost pressures from higher imported met coke prices, compounded by a weak rupee. Policy support from safeguard duty, tight availability of long products and strong export orders have further lifted prices," Dewangan explained.
This story is from the January 19, 2026 edition of Business Standard.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Business Standard
Business Standard
The long road to recovery
IBC and NCLT have helped banks in recovery and resolution of bad debt, but we need more NCLT members and Benches to reduce time taken
5 mins
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
BlackRock's Rick Rieder bid for Fed Chair gains traction
The candidacy of BlackRock’s Senior Managing Director Rick Rieder (pictured) to be the next Federal Reserve chair has gained late momentum, people familiar with the matter say, as President Donald Trump weighs congressional blowback in his bid to put a friendlier face at the head of the central bank.
1 mins
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
'Earnings growth to move more in line with nominal GDP'
The growth outlook remains constructive, but current valuations already reflect much of that optimism, says Anand Shah, chief investment officer, portfolio management services and alternative investment fund at ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company. In an email interview with Abhishek Kumar, Shah says the market offers selective opportunities, with some pockets looking expensive and others presenting attractive businesses with clear earnings visibility. Edited excerpts:
3 mins
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
IT firms meander through deal-pricing complexity in era of AI agents
ANALYSTS SAID THE TRADITIONAL PRICING MODEL THAT HAS LONG RELIED ON TIME AND MATERIAL TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH A CLIENT PAID PER EMPLOYEE, NEEDED TO BE TWEAKED
2 mins
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
SunSource founder-led trio plans ₹10K cr cleantech push
The first project involves a 6 gigawatt solar cell and module manufacturing plant with integrated ingot and wafer facilities at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.
1 min
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
Two busy weeks ahead for MEA
From hosting UAE President and Poland's deputy PM to continuing negotiations on trade with the US, South Block prepares for a hectic diplomatic calendar. Archis Mohan reports
2 mins
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
Smallcap MFs looking to distance from stocks beyond top 1,000
Their exposure just 2% of scheme corpus, finds study
1 min
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
Pentagon readies 1,500 troops to possibly deploy to Minnesota
The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota, the site of large protests against the government’s deportation drive, US media reported on Sunday.
1 min
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
Proptech firms see sustained investor interest
Deeper adoption in realty market witnessed
1 min
January 19, 2026
Business Standard
Legal tangle
Investment requires long-term certainty
2 mins
January 19, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size