Steel is the most widely used material in a large variety of applications both simple and sophisticated. Steel is produced through two process routes; the ore based blast furnace – LD converter route, scrap, or DRI based electric arc flame route. Sponge iron is a substitute for scrap in the electric arc furnace, which can be easily manufactured from indigenously available raw materials at very competitive price. Billet refers to a cast semi finished products. It is also referred to as ingot, particularly for smaller sizes. A billet is typically cast to a rectangular, hexagonal or round cross, section compatible with secondary processing e.g. forming or milling. It can be produced either as coil or cut lengths. Billets are collectively known as bar stock. The liberalization of industrial policy and other initiatives taken by the government have given a definite impetus for entry, participation and growth of the private sector in the steel industry. While the existing units are being expanded, a large number of new steel plants have also come up in different parts of the country based on modern, cost effective, state of-the-art technologies. At present, total steel making capacity is over 34 million tonnes in India, the 8th largest producer of steel in the world, has to its credit, the capability to produce a variety of grades and that too, of international quality standards. As per the ratings of the prestigious “world steel Dynamics; Indian HR products are classified in the Tier II category quality products a major reason behind their acceptance in the world market. Although the Indian steel industry enjoyed the advantage of cheap and high quality iron ore and manganese, its limited accessibility to the supply of coking coal was a constraint. The adoption of the sponge iron route by the emerging private sector integrated plants helped not only in circumventing the constraint, but also witnessed a technological revolution of sorts by the industry. As a result, India enjoys a cost advantage compared to some countries. India produced 34 mn tonnes of steel in 2003-04. Of this, 5 mn tonnes were exported. China had a world record production of 220 mn tonnes of steel in 2003-04. Global demand for steel in 2004-05, is expected to be up 6.2% to approximately 920 mn tonnes from over 860 mn tonnes in the previous year. There has been a spurt in the world demand of steel since the 2003. The industry in India has also witnessed a boom period with price realisation getting higher and higher. Exports have reinforced the trend. Exports of Iron and Steel during (April-January) 2003-04 rose by 31.5% to $ 1.85 bn, against $ 1.4 bn in the corresponding period of the preceding year. The Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002) had projected a demand for steel at 39 mn tonnes at the end of the plan period. This was to involve an investment in the sector of around Rs 250 bn in the last five years. The production of finished steel increased from 13.5 mn tonnes in 1990-91 to nearly 27 mn tonnes in 1999-00. The year 2000-01 witnessed an estimated production of nearly 29.5 mn tonnes. The production realised at the end of the Ninth Plan was 31.63 mn tonnes. In view of the recessionary conditions experienced prior to 2003-04, the Tenth Plan did not foresee setting up of additional capacities in the public sector. This, however, does not foreclose the options of further investments at the enterprise level. In fact, the scenario has changed and SAIL has prepared an ambitious plan of expansion. So there is very good domestic as well as export market for steel project. New entrepreneurs can well venture into this field. Few Indian Major Players are as under: A H W Steels Ltd. A S R Multimetals Pvt. Ltd. Aarti Steels Ltd. Aditya Ispat Ltd. Ankit Metal & Power Ltd. Arun Smelters Ltd. Ashiana Ispat Ltd. Assam Roofing Ltd. Balmukund Concast Ltd. Beekay Steel Inds. Ltd. Bellary Steels & Alloys Ltd. Bhartia Commercial Co. Ltd. Bhushan Steel Ltd. Brand Alloys Ltd. Charminar Steels Ltd. Chase Bright Steel Ltd. Deccan Alloys Pvt. Ltd. Dina Iron & Steel Ltd. G K Steel & Allied Inds. Ltd. G K W Ltd. Gallantt Metal Ltd. Gangotri Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. Girnar Impex Ltd. Goa Ispat Ltd. Golden Rathi Star Inds. Ltd. Goldstar Metals Ltd. Govind Mills Ltd. Govind Steel & Power Ltd. Goyal Ispat Ltd. Handum Industries Ltd. India Steel Works Ltd. India Tube Mills & Metal Inds. Ltd. Indian Bright Steel Co. Ltd. Indian Steel Rolling Mills Ltd. Indore Steel & Iron Mills Ltd. Ipisteel Ltd. Jai Balaji Inds. Ltd. Jai Bhawani Steel Enterprises Ltd. Jai Raj Ispat Ltd. Juhi Alloys Ltd. K L Concast Pvt. Ltd. K R Steelunion Ltd. Kalindi Steels & Engg. Works Ltd. Kalyani Carpenter Special Steels Ltd. Kamachi Steels Ltd. Kamani Tubes Ltd. Kamdhenu Ispat Ltd. Kanishk Steel Inds. Ltd. Kundil Ispat Ltd. M S P Steel & Power Ltd. Magnum Steels Ltd. Mangal Steel Enterprises Ltd. Met-Rolla Steels Ltd. Modern Steels Ltd. Mohan Ferro Alloys Ltd. Mukand Ltd. N H K Spring India Ltd. N R International Ltd. Nalwa Steel & Power Ltd. National General Inds. Ltd. Partap Steel Rolling Mills (1935) Ltd. Peekay Re-Rolling Mills Pvt. Ltd. Pondy Metal & Rolling Mills Pvt. Ltd. Premier Ispat Ltd. Prestige Stocks & Bonds Ltd. Progressive Steels (India) Ltd. Purvi Bharat Steels Ltd. R H L Profiles Ltd. R R Ispat Ltd. R S L Industries Ltd. (Duplicate Name, Uttar Pradesh) Radice Ispat (India) Ltd. Ramsarup Industries Ltd. Ramsarup Vyapaar Ltd. Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. Rathi Bars Ltd. Rathi Steel & Power Ltd. Raymond Ltd. Rukma Industries Ltd. S K M Steels Ltd. S M C Power Generation Ltd. S P S Steels Rolling Mills Ltd. Shimoga Steels Ltd. Shobhagya Steels Ltd. Shree Sanyeeji Ispat Ltd. Shree Sidhbali Steels Ltd. Shree Vaishnav Ispat Pvt. Ltd. Shri Bhagavati Bright Bars Ltd. Shri Rathi Steels Ltd. Sirhind Steel Ltd. Somani Swiss Inds. Ltd. Sonal Vyapar Ltd. Sree Metaliks Ltd. Sri Vasavi Inds. Ltd. Stainless India Ltd. Steel Exchange India Ltd. Sumangala Steel Pvt. Ltd. Super Inducto Steels Ltd. Surana Industries Ltd. Tata Steel Ltd. Thapar Concast Ltd. Torus India Ltd. Trichy Steel Rolling Mills Ltd. Unique Intercontinental Ltd. Upper India Steel Mfg. & Engg. Co. Ltd. Usha Iron & Ferro Metals Corpn. Ltd. V V S Alloys Ltd. Vaibhav Mercantile Ltd. Vijaya Steels Ltd. Vikash Metal & Power Ltd. Vinayaga Vyapar Ltd. Viraj Profiles Ltd. Vishwas Infocom Inds. Ltd. Volvo Steels Ltd.