SIEMS-2008 in progress at SAIL auditorium. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, April 16: Cross-border co-operation is the order of the day and to meet challenges of achieving the targeted growth rate in steel sector, India must explore the possibilities of involving the Chinese.

S.K. Bhattacharya, the former managing director of Durgapur Steel Plant, said this, while delivering the keynote address at SIEMS-2008, a two-day Sino-Indo steel plant equipment manufacturers and suppliers’ meet, which began at Ispat Bhavan auditorium here today.

Director (technical) of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) V.K. Gulhati, who was the chief guest at the function, said the targeted production figure could be achieved only if there was a synergy among the equipment manufacturers, suppliers and the expanding steel making facilities.

The meet is being organised by the Ranchi chapter of Indian Institute of Metal in association with Centre for Engineering and Technology (CET) and research and development centre for iron and steel of both SAIL units and Mecon Limited.

Earlier, A.S. Mathur, the chairman of the organising committee and executive director of CET, welcomed the 200-odd delegates from both the countries. He said the target of 110 million tonnes in the country as envisaged in the national steel policy, “Vision-2020”, has been deemed revised upward and was currently being projected at 200 million tonnes per annum by 2020. In five technical sessions, representatives of several companies would present 15 papers, which would highlight various aspects of steel production.