New Delhi, July 19 -- Domestic finished steel consumption remained strong in the June quarter, supported by infrastructure spending, real estate activity, automobile manufacturing and heavy engineering demand, with demand outpacing production and resulting in India becoming a net importer of finished steel, according to an HDFC Securities Institutional Research Q1FY27 Results Preview report.

The report said, "Domestic consumption of finished steel (FS) in India remained healthy as it rose ~9% YoY in Q1FY27." It attributed the growth to "continued momentum in large-scale public infrastructure capex, steady demand from real estate and urban development projects, a rising demand from automotive manufacturing, and heavy engineering sectors."...