An Indian trade group for refractories has called on the government to lower import tariffs on raw materials needed to produce refractories, including magnesium and alumina, on the grounds that such materials are expensive to import and are relatively scarce at home. The government's new target of 300 million tonnes of steel production by 2030 means that continued access to alumina and other refractories will become more important in the future, IRMA told domestic media late last week.

Sameer Nagpal, a supporter of IRMA, explained, "" refractory is one of the key equipment for steelmaking. Not only steel, but refractories are also used by glass manufacturers, aluminium and cement manufacturers, etc.

But the supply of raw materials for one of the key equipment remains a problem. Imports of such materials from China would push up input costs, he added. In addition to lowering import tariffs, Nagpal recommended that the country continue its efforts to produce this material domestically by auctioning the right to exploit its mineral deposits.
He stressed that "" we are working hard to produce refractories in India that meet global standards and have the potential to meet the demand of the steel and aluminium industries" ".
Recently, the center of excellence for refractories in India has teamed up with iit-bhu's advanced steel research center to develop advanced technologies to meet the needs of the domestic steel industry. The move will help domestic refractory producers catch up with global manufacturers, which he expects will help Indian refractory consumers wean themselves off overseas sources.
Nagpal concluded that Indian refractory manufacturers have agreed with their idea that their industry must have a positive ecosystem in order to produce sufficient quantities of refractory to meet domestic steel production targets.