Steel Authority of India reported a 26% reduction in specific water consumption for FY26, bringing usage down to 2.85 m³/tcs from 3.83 m³/tcs in FY15-16. The Maharatna PSU also increased capital expenditure on environmental and social technologies to ₹313.98 crore, up from ₹108 crore in the previous year.

The company’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) for FY26 details progress across environmental, social, and governance parameters. Steel Authority of India achieved its best-ever Specific Energy Consumption (SEC) of 6.18 Gcal/tcs, though this remained slightly above the target of 6.08 Gcal/tcs. Total energy consumption rose to 541,647 TJ, with renewable sources contributing 2,561 TJ compared to 1,400 TJ in FY25.

Environmental Performance

Steel Authority of India focused heavily on decarbonization and waste management during the fiscal year. The company generated 14,530,391 tonnes of total waste, recovering 4,768,012 tonnes through recycling, reuse, or other operations. Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions stood at 53,112,348 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, while Scope 2 emissions were 5,195,092 tonnes.

Water management initiatives included the commissioning of a new effluent treatment system at Bokaro Steel Plant with a capacity of 1,500 m³/hr, designed on Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) principles. Specific CO₂ emissions from integrated steel plants were recorded at 2.53 T/tcs, against an interim target of 2.41 T/tcs for FY25-26.

What the Numbers Show

The data reveals a divergence between energy efficiency gains and emission targets. While Steel Authority of India successfully reduced its specific energy consumption to a record low of 6.18 Gcal/tcs, it missed its specific CO₂ emission target of 2.41 T/tcs, recording 2.53 T/tcs instead. This suggests that while operational efficiency improved, the intensity of carbon emissions per tonne of steel did not decrease at the same pace, potentially due to the mix of raw materials or process-specific factors not fully offset by energy savings.

Social and Governance Highlights

The company employed 49,752 permanent employees and engaged 68,066 contract workers as of March 2026. Female representation among permanent employees stood at 6%, while 7% of contract workers were female. Safety metrics showed improvement, with the Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) for employees dropping to 0.09 from 0.23 in FY25. However, fatalities among workers rose to 9 from 5 in the prior year.

Governance structures include board-level subcommittees for health, safety, and environment. Steel Authority of India reported no monetary penalties or fines from regulatory agencies during FY26. The company also emphasized inclusive growth, sourcing 44.41% of eligible procurement from Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), amounting to ₹5,111.29 crore.

Steel Authority of India accepted the resignation of Ashish Chatterjee as Government Nominee Director effective August 24, 2026. The change follows an order from the Ministry of Steel dated August 27, 2026.

Chatterjee, who served as Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor at the Ministry of Steel, ceased holding the charge on the specified date. The company disclosed the change in board composition to comply with SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations 2015.

The notification was issued by M.B. Balakrishnan, Executive Director (Finance & Accounts) and Company Secretary, and communicated to both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.