Vizag TMT rebars make a market comeback as RINL resumes rolling operations

Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), the corporate entity of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, has recommenced the production of its flagship TMT rebars, marking a significant operational revival for the State-run steel major.

The rolling of TMT bars resumed in mid-October, bringing an end to a temporary production hiatus. TMT rebar production had come to a halt in June 2026 due to extensive repair work required on the plant’s coke oven batteries.

Speaking to The Hindu, a senior RINL official confirmed that following successful maintenance, almost all coke oven batteries are now functioning smoothly, enabling the plant to restart rolling operations and rebuild its market supply. The restart swiftly addresses supply constraints, restoring the availability of the trusted Vizag TMT brand across commercial channels, the official added.

Production capacity and daily output

According to a release issued here, RINL, as a premier shore-based integrated steel plant, operates at an overall liquid steel capacity rated around 7.3 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa). With plant stabilisation measures taking effect, hot metal production averages roughly 19,000 to 20,000 tonnes per day across active blast furnaces.

From this total liquid steel output, the plant’s dedicated structural and merchant rolling mills yield an estimated 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes of finished TMT rebars per day (varying dynamically with product mix rotations like wire rods and structural rounds), fueling a steady stream of finished stock into the market.

The revived rolling lines are churning out high-grade Fe-500D and CRS (Corrosion Resistant Steel) rebars in a comprehensive commercial size range spanning from 8mm to 32mm (and up to 40mm for specialised infrastructure). Present market rates for primary Vizag TMT rebars hover between ₹49,000 and ₹56,000 per metric tonne (approximately ₹49 to ₹56 per kg, inclusive of basic trade variations and local market dynamics).

Market footprint and consumer preference

Known for superior quality, consistent yield strength, and excellent seismic and bend resistance, Vizag TMT commands a dominant preference across domestic markets, according to the release. While RINL primarily caters to the domestic construction sector, its products are also shipped to international corridors when trade viability permits.

Within the domestic sphere, demand is heavily concentrated across Southern and Western India—particularly Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra—where infrastructure build-up remains robust.

Market surveys indicated that residential house building (individual home builders) and large-scale urban infrastructure projects represent the most dominant consumer segments. Real estate developers, engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors, and retail home builders heavily lean toward Vizag TMT for structural integrity, the release stated.

Positive industry reception

The release highlighted that market response to the comeback has been overwhelming. Dealers and consumers alike have welcomed the return of the rolling stock, noting that the uniform availability of standard sizes (such as 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 16mm, 20mm, and 25mm) eases project execution bottlenecks.

Industry analysts pointed out that the renewed availability of Vizag TMT rebars not only stabilises retail pricing dynamics across key urban centres like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai, but also bolsters consumer trust in public sector manufacturing excellence.