Tata Steel expanding NINL capacity to 5 MT per annum: CEO TV Narendran

Tata Steel is channeling Rs 40,000 crore towards boosting the capacity of Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) by an impressive 5 million tonnes annually. This strategic acquisition, which was finalized on July 4, 2022, cost Rs 12,100 crore. After being idle for over three years due to financial turmoil, NINL is now revived.

New Delhi: Tata Steel is ramping up capacity at its Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) facility to around 5 million tonnes per annum with a substantial capital investment, its CEO and Managing Director TV Narendran said on Monday.

The top company official made these remarks on the sidelines of the Indian Foundation for Quality Management (IFQM) Symposium 2026 in the national capital.

"So, we have already announced another 5 million tonne expansion in Neelachal, which is also in Kalinganagar. It is a long products expansion, and we have announced that it is a Rs 40,000 crore project," Narendran said in reply to a question on its growth plans.

On July 4, 2022, Tata Steel completed the acquisition of Odisha-based Neelachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL), the first state-owned steel company to be divested by the Narendra Modi-led government, through its erstwhile subsidiary Tata Steel Long Products (TSLP) for Rs 12,100 crore.

NINL's 1 million tonne per annum (MTPA) steel manufacturing unit at Kalinganagar, around 120 km from Bhubaneswar, was closed for over three years on account of various reasons, including lack of funds.

In May last year, Tata Steel announced the completion of the phase II expansion project at Tata Steel Kalinganagar in Odisha, taking its overall capacity to 26.1 million tonnes (MT) in the country.

Narendran said, "Kalinganagar is one of the most advanced steel plants in the country today, and we have some of the most advanced facilities to service the auto sector and the oil and gas sector".

The company is getting the benefits of a better product mix and a lower cost structure, he added.