Union Minister for Steel and Heavy Industries Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy held an interactive meeting with Ambassadors and representatives of key partner countries, inviting them to actively participate in Bharat Steel 2026, the flagship international conference-cum-exhibition of the Ministry of Steel, scheduled to be held in April 2026. The interactive session, witnessed good participation from Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of countries that play an important role in the global steel value chain. The meeting formed part of the Ministry’s outreach efforts to deepen international cooperation and strengthen India’s engagement with global steel-producing and steel-consuming nations. Addressing the gathering, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy warmly welcomed the Ambassadors and thanked them for their presence, noting that their participation reflected the importance India places on trusted international partnerships. He underlined that India’s steel sector today mirrors the country’s broader economic transformation and has emerged as a pillar of growth, resilience and global integration. The Minister highlighted that India is currently the world’s second-largest steel producer, a position achieved through sustained reforms, steady investments and a clear long-term vision focused on modernization, self-reliance and sustainability. He noted that the steel sector contributes around 2.5 percent to India’s GDP and supports nearly 2.8 million livelihoods, with demand being driven by infrastructure expansion, manufacturing growth and strategic sectors such as defence and mobility. Referring to the National Steel Policy 2017 and the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy said India is progressing steadily towards a steel capacity of 300 million tonnes by 2030, with an even more ambitious target of 500 million tonnes by 2047. These milestones, he said, would further integrate India with global steel value chains and open new avenues for international collaboration. Against this backdrop, the Union Minister announced that the Ministry of Steel has decided to institutionalize an annual flagship International Conference-cum-Exhibition titled “Bharat Steel.” He informed the gathering that the first edition, Bharat Steel 2026, will be in April 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. Kumaraswamy explained that Bharat Steel 2026 is envisioned as a global platform bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, technology providers and buyers from across the world. A key feature of the event will be a dedicated Reverse Buyer–Seller Meet aimed at facilitating structured B2B engagements and fostering long-term partnerships.