According to the official website of the Steel Ministry of India*, in 2019, the world’s crude steel production reached 1869 million tonnes (MT), clocking a growth of 3% over the previous year. While China continued its leadership position as the world’s largest crude steel producer at 996 MT, India holds the number two spot with a production of 111 MT, in 2019. Over the last 70 years, from being a key player in the nascent steel industry back in the 1950’s, Norinco is proud to be a constant participant and active contributor to the growth story of India’s steel market.
How It All Began
One of the key raw materials used in the manufacture of steel, are Ferro Alloys. Ferro Alloys refer to elements such as Ferro Manganese, Silicone Manganese and Ferro Chromes, all essential materials used in the production of steel. Back in the 1950’s, we at Norinco began our operations by forraying into the metallurgical industry through our representation of global leaders — the Norway-based, ELKEM. Known to be the world’s largest producers of Ferro Alloys, as well as the world’s largest manufacturers of furnaces that produced Ferro Alloys, Norinco proudly joined hands with this pioneer to be the first importers of Ferro Alloys in India.
The Journey Continues
As time went by, Norinco’s interests and contribution to the Indian steel industry consistently grew. At one time, over 80% of India’s Ferro Alloys were manufactured by Elkem Furnaces, sold and traded under our expert representation and guidance. Some of the largest players in the market such as Facor, Indian Metals and Ferro Alloys (IMFA) and Maharashtra Electrosmelt, trusted Norinco to deliver products and services with a guarantee of quality.
With each passing decade, our interests and expertise in the field grew and in the 1960’s, we expanded our portfolio of services to include the sale of steel refractories to customers in India. Refractories are the primary materials used by the steel industry in the internal linings of furnaces for making steel. This essential material is a highly valuable consumable in the steel industry and we held the honour of representing the world’s largest refractory manufacturers, RHI, in the Indian market. What began as an exclusive partnership to bring world class refractories to the Indian market, eventually evolved into a much larger strategic collaboration.
By 2007, after many decades of a successful partnership, Norinco had built up a team of 40 highly trained engineers dedicated to RHI’s interests and sales. Eventually, we advised, consulted and guided RHI on how to set up an Indian entity, later known as RHI India, and thus began our joint venture as strategic partners. RHI’s global growth story continued as they eventually merged with the second largest player, Brazilain manufacturer — Magnesita, to form RHI Magnesita. Today, RHI Magnesita is the holding company to RHI’s global footprint and our Managing Director. Mr. George Mathew, sits on the board of RHI Clasil, driving our continued value add to this global industry leader.
A Steely Resolve
Our decades of varied experience in one of the most gruelling and challenging fields has resulted in Norinco becoming a highly trusted name in the business today. Over the years, we have earned the confidence of India’s top steel producers as a reliable and dependable partner and supplier. In keeping with our tradition of only working with the best quality suppliers and manufacturers, we represent the world’s largest producers of Graphite electrodes, Graftech international, in the Indian market ever since 2005. Used by Electric Arc Furnace and steel ladles , graphite electrodes are massive electrodes used by the steel industry to melt solid scrap and are an essential element of every steel plant and steel production process. It is the strength of our legacy and the depth of our working relationship with India’s top steel producers that attract premier global manufacturers to join hands with us. Today, we’re proud to be the preferred partners to the world’s leading manufacturers, who depend on us to help them successfully navigate the often complex and daunting Indian business environment.
In addition to this, today we have further expanded our portfolio of services with a keen eye on creating more value for the Steel industry. Our services now include supplying and selling commodities such as High Carbon Silicon (that replaces Ferro Silicon) and Carbon Products such as CPC, GPC and ECA. We also sell Manganese metal, Thermal Coal (that’s used by power plants), Coking Coal (for blast furnaces) and Calcined Lime. That’s not all, we also offer refractory repair and lining solutions for both the Steel & Ferro Alloy industry. Last but not least, we also offer Graphite plates for the continuous casting industry and supply Manganese Ore to the Ferro Alloy and Chemical industries.
Looking Towards a Gleaming Future
As an established player with a reputation of working with pioneers in the field, we are always on the lookout for innovators that are pushing the boundaries of green technology. As we move into a new decade and the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges, we firmly believe it is our responsibility to work hand in hand with manufacturers, suppliers and other key stakeholders in bringing sustainable solutions and alternatives to the fore. It is with this vision that we move forward into a new tomorrow and towards building a better future for us all.
*Statistic source: https://steel.gov.in/overview-steel-sector
