The Steel Executives
Federation of India (SEFI) today celebrated its silver jubilee
by organizing a seminar on future of public sector steel industry
in the country. The Minister for Steel Shri B.K.Tripathy inaugurated
the seminar and felicitated the ex Chairmen of the Steel Authority
of India Limited (SAIL), Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL),
MECON Limited and SEFI. The Minister observed that the executives
in the public sector should play a vital role in the corporate
decision making process. They should strive to achieve the goals
of the management which will make their organization stronger
and contribute to the economic development of the country.
The Minister pointed
out that when Indian Steel Industry is showing signs of recovery
and the International steel prices in India and abroad is gradually
picking up the executives should take it as an opportunity to
revive the glory of the steel sector. He said that the country
has been able to generate record production of finished steel
of 31.62 million tonnes in 2000-02 and the consumption of finished
steel was all time high 27.44 million tonnes. He was happy to
note that there has been further improvement during the current
financial year. Shri Tripathy appealed to the public sector steel
plant to focus on problems like huge overhang of unpaid debts,
excess manpower, high-energy cost and low domestic demand. He
exhorted the executives of public sector to work hard and face
the competition in the country and aborad.
The Secretary of
the Steel Ministry, Shri J.S.Gill in his address pointed out that
India has one of the lowest per capita consumption rates of steel
in the world. Today China with per consumption of over 100 Kgs
is way above India’s modest 27 Kgs. There is necessity of bridging
the gap between demand and supply of infrastructural facilities
for sustained economic development in India. He said that steel
executives are directly responsible for profitability of the operations
of the companies. They have to remain vigilant and ensure that
their companies do not lose market share. He asked the Steel Executives
Federation to provide leadership, so that the work force in the
public sector would be able to raise their productivity levels
to world standards.
The Chairman SAIL,
Shri V.S. Jain, Ex Chairman TISCO Shri J.J.Irani, CMD, RINL, Shri
B.K.Singh in their address stressed on role of the executives
in ensuring quality of products, cost competitiveness, technology
upgradation and better service to the people. Shri Irani emphasized
on moderanisation of the mind-set of the executives for bringing
out a revolution in the steel sector.
The Chairman SEFI,
Shri Brahama Mishra welcomed the delegates and guests and outlined
the achievements of SEFI within the last 25 years.
