Small mills make 40% of India’s steel, heavily on coal.

Urla and Siltara’s clusters support tens of thousands of workers on tight margins.

Coal-based sponge iron emits 2.7-3.1 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of steel, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water estimates.

Saurabh Agrawal, president of Raipur steelmaker Real Ispat & Power, calls the way forward “a bit confusing.”

Government and overseas markets will require smaller producers to invest in cleaner technology, efficiency gains or new fuels.

How each outlet framed it
Dialogue Earth
foregrounds how small/medium steelmakers (40% of India's crude steel production) rely heavily on coal for DRI production, operate on tight margins, and face precarious position in green transition

Sources: Dialogue Earth