March 12, 2026 : The Bhilai Steel Plant, a flagship unit of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), has achieved two major operational milestones, highlighting its continued focus on productivity and operational excellence. The achievements include Blast Furnace–8 (Mahamaya) reaching 20 million tonnes of cumulative hot metal production and the Bar and Rod Mill establishing a new daily production record in the 12 mm Thermo-Mechanically Treated (TMT) bar category.
Director In-Charge of Bhilai Steel Plant, Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra, along with Executive Director (Works) Rakesh Kumar and other senior officials, congratulated the teams of the Blast Furnace and the Bar and Rod Mill for their outstanding performance.
Blast Furnace–8 (Mahamaya) achieved the landmark 20 million tonnes cumulative hot metal production on March 10, 2026. Commissioned on February 2, 2018, the furnace reached this milestone in 2,959 days of operation. With this achievement, BF-8 has become the fastest furnace in its capacity class among SAIL’s sister units to reach the 20-million-tonne mark.
The furnace also demonstrated remarkable efficiency by producing the last one million tonnes (from 19 to 20 million tonnes) in just 123 days, reflecting consistent operational performance and strong technical capability.
To celebrate the milestone, a brief ceremony was held at the Central Control Room of Blast Furnace–8, where a cake-cutting event took place in the presence of senior officials and the furnace team. Chief General Manager (Blast Furnaces) Manoj Kumar joined the team and praised their dedication and sustained efforts.
Addressing the workforce, he said the achievement reflects the technical expertise, operational discipline, and collective commitment of the Blast Furnace team. He encouraged employees to continue striving for higher productivity while maintaining the highest standards of safety and reliability.
In another significant achievement, the Bar and Rod Mill at Bhilai Steel Plant set a new single-day production record on March 8, 2026, producing 3,405 tonnes of steel (1,653 billets) in the demanding 12 mm TMT bar category. The new record surpassed the previous best of 3,390 tonnes (1,646 billets) recorded on October 4, 2025.
Steel products from the mill are widely used in several major national infrastructure projects, including the Central Vista Redevelopment Project, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor, and the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, as well as projects undertaken by the Border Roads Organisation.
Chief General Manager and Head of Department (Bar and Rod Mill) Yogesh Shastri attributed the achievement to strong teamwork and a culture of continuous improvement. He expressed confidence that the mill will continue to achieve new benchmarks in productivity and operational performance.
He also thanked the management, employees, labour unions and supporting departments for their cooperation and consistent support in achieving the milestone.
Senior officials of the Bar and Rod Mill, including General Managers S. N. Tripathi, Ashish, Shashwat Mohanty, Sameer Pandey and Shikhar Tiwari, along with other officers, also congratulated the entire team for the achievement.
