JSW Steel reported a marginal decline in crude steel production for April 2026 as the ongoing shutdown of Blast Furnace-3 (BF3) at its Vijayanagar plant in Karnataka continued to affect output during the month.
The company’s consolidated crude steel production stood at 21.18 lakh tonnes in April 2026, compared to 21.40 lakh tonnes in the corresponding month last year, registering a year-on-year decline of around 1 per cent. Production from Indian operations was recorded at 20.40 lakh tonnes against 20.56 lakh tonnes a year earlier.
According to the company, the decline was primarily linked to the temporary shutdown of Blast Furnace-3 at its Vijayanagar steel complex, which has been undergoing a major capacity expansion and upgrade programme since September 2025.
The BF3 expansion project is aimed at increasing the furnace’s hot metal production capacity from 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 4.5 MTPA as part of JSW Steel’s long-term capacity enhancement strategy. The shutdown has affected production volumes and overall capacity utilisation at the company’s Indian operations over the past several months.
Despite the temporary disruption, the company said its underlying production performance remained strong. Excluding the impact of BF3 from the previous year’s base, crude steel production growth was approximately 10 per cent year-on-year, supported largely by the full ramp-up of operations at JSW Vijayanagar Metallics Ltd. (JVML).
The company’s US operations at Ohio also witnessed lower output during the month. Production at JSW Steel USA–Ohio stood at 0.78 lakh tonnes in April 2026, compared to 0.84 lakh tonnes recorded in the same period last year, reflecting a decline of nearly 7 per cent.
Industry analysts noted that while the Vijayanagar shutdown has temporarily impacted production numbers, the capacity upgrade is expected to significantly strengthen the company’s future steelmaking capabilities once recommissioned. Vijayanagar remains one of India’s largest integrated steel manufacturing complexes and a key production hub for JSW Steel’s flat and long steel products.
The company has continued to maintain strong operational performance at its other facilities despite the temporary outage. Earlier production updates had indicated capacity utilisation of around 92–97 per cent at Indian operations excluding BF3 capacity, highlighting stable operational efficiency across the rest of its manufacturing network.
JSW Steel currently has a consolidated crude steel production capacity of approximately 35.7 MTPA and is pursuing multiple brownfield and greenfield expansion projects to strengthen its position among the world’s leading steel producers. The company has also been investing in downstream steel facilities, green steel initiatives, value-added products, and sustainability-focused manufacturing technologies.
Industry observers believe the temporary production impact is likely to remain short term, with the upgraded Vijayanagar furnace expected to contribute significantly to JSW Steel’s future production growth, operational efficiency, and capacity expansion roadmap once fully operational.
