SAIL Partners with ABB India to Drive Digital Transformation in Steel Manufacturing!

Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), a Maharatna public sector enterprise, has entered into a strategic partnership with ABB India to enhance the digital transformation of steel production at its Rourkela Steel Plant in Odisha. This collaboration aims to optimize key operations in ironmaking and steelmaking through the creation of digital twins for critical units like the blast furnaces and basic oxygen furnace (BOF) units of the steel melt shop. These digital twins will enable real-time, data-driven decision-making, offering valuable insights that improve productivity and operational efficiency.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) comes at a crucial moment for the Indian steel industry, which faces increasing environmental regulations, rising production costs, and growing demand for high-quality steel. With SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant producing 4.08 million tonnes of saleable steel in FY25, the company has ambitious plans to increase its production capacity to around 9 million tonnes by 2030. This digitalization partnership with ABB India is expected to play a vital role in helping SAIL achieve this goal, while ensuring that the production process is both efficient and sustainable.

Under this collaboration, ABB India will leverage its extensive expertise in automation and digitalization to develop advanced mathematical models that provide real-time insights into the performance of plant operations. These insights are aimed at improving furnace operations, enhancing product quality, extending the lifespan of critical assets, and reducing the environmental impact of the plant. By implementing such technology, SAIL will be able to make informed operational decisions, improving the overall productivity of the plant while optimizing energy consumption and waste management practices.

Biswa Ranjan Palai, Executive Director (Works) at SAIL, emphasized the significance of the partnership, stating, “This collaboration marks a milestone in modernising our steel production systems. The digital twin initiative will empower us to make real-time operational decisions, improve productivity, and maintain our competitive edge in the global market.” The use of digital twins will not only allow for more effective decision-making but also contribute to the long-term growth of SAIL’s operations, ensuring they stay at the forefront of the steel manufacturing sector.

Kapil Agarwal, Senior Vice President and Local Division Manager of Process Industries at ABB India, highlighted ABB’s commitment to driving digital innovation in India’s core industries. “Through this partnership, ABB reaffirms its commitment to digital innovation in India’s core industries. Our goal is to revolutionize steelmaking using advanced models and digital twins that enable leaner, cleaner, and more intelligent operations,” Agarwal said.

India’s steel sector is witnessing significant growth, with a forecasted 9–10% increase in domestic demand in FY25 and long-term annual growth estimates of 5–7.3%, according to reports from ICRA and Deloitte. As Indian steelmakers look to expand production capacity and improve energy efficiency, digital transformation is becoming essential to achieving global competitiveness. This partnership between SAIL and ABB will be a crucial step towards ensuring that the Indian steel industry remains efficient and sustainable in the coming decades.

The collaboration also marks ABB’s 75th anniversary in India, underscoring its long-standing contribution to industrial automation, electrification, and digital innovation across key sectors, including steel, cement, mining, and energy. SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant, which started operations in 1959, remains a leader in India’s steel manufacturing sector, known for producing a wide range of products, including flat, tubular, and coated steels, as well as specialty steel for defense applications. With a current production capacity of 4.2 million tonnes per annum, the plant is poised for significant growth, underpinned by cutting-edge digital technologies.