Calcutta, July 3: Tata Steel has posted a near 17 per cent growth in volume sales in the first quarter of this fiscal. Observers feel, the company’s income during the quarter, too, should grow by a similar margin.

The company sold 9.1 lakh tonnes of steel during the quarter that ended on June 30 compared with 7.8 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the last financial year.

“For the first time in the history of Tata Steel, the company produced more than a million tonnes of crude steel in the first quarter,” a release said.

The sale of branded products namely Tata Tiscon reinforcing bars, Tata Shakti corrugated galvanised sheets and Tata Steelium cold rolled sheet registered a significant growth. Sale of cold rolled sheets for automobile and white goods sectors increased 64 per cent.