Mx Business Media Juhu, Mumbai, Maharashtra

The steel industry has often been considered an economic indicator, as it has always gone hand in hand with economic development. India's per capita consumption of steel structures is currently 6-7 kg, and this has been growing at a CAGR of over 10 per cent over the past five years. This market is witnessing higher growth compared to both, Indian steel and Indian construction GDPs. The overall per capita consumption of structural steel and pre-engineered buildings for India over the next ten years has the potential to look even more attractive, with the overall indicative potential reaching 17 to 22 kg per capita.

A folded steel staircase runs alongside an exposed brick wall to connect the two levels of this east London flat by architecture studio Bell Phillips. Located in Hackney, the home is one of several created through the conversion of a Victorian school building characterised by walls of yellow-hued London stock brick. South London-based Bell Phillips – whose recent projects include a park inside a converted Victorian gas holder – demolished a former staircase that once ran parallel with the apartment’s mezzanine level. The team replaced it with a new stair constructed from a six-millimetre-thick sheet of steel that was folded and welded before being finished with a coating of atomised brass.

The industrial and infrastructure segments are currently the two main contributors to the overall demand for steel structures in India. Structural steel is the default material used for the construction of plant superstructures, and the steel industry is a key demand driver within the segment. Oil and gas, petrochemicals, cement and fertilizers are also responsible for boosting demand for structural steel. Steel also remains the default material within the power sector, driven by huge investment and capacity additions in new power plants and transmission towers. Increased government spending in the infrastructure segment over the next five years is expected to result in massive demand, especially from air and sea ports, railway stations and bridges, and metro rail.

As urban population is increasing rapidly, so is the need for steel to build skyscrapers and public transport infrastructure. Structural steel is being selectively used in the construction of high-rise buildings with a few projects using steel or composite structures being built each year in India, mainly in metropolitan cities that are constrained by limited land availability. Time pressure will propel the industry towards offsite fabrication, and owners and consultants have realized the advantages in terms of uniformity of finish and better quality, as steel producers learn to align their rolling sections to design needs of these urban projects. Even PEB is fast gaining popularity due to relatively simple and standard designs; the demand for PEBs in India is expected to be driven by the logistics, retail and manufacturing sector.