Amaravati, November 30, 2025: The Visakhapatnam Steel Plant's viability rests on achieving 92.5% production capacity, or 19,000 tonnes of hot metal daily, as per the Steel Ministry's stark warning to employees, who must now shoulder the burden of revival without further central lifelines.
Joint secretaries Abhijit Narendra and Daya Nidhan Pandey, in separate addresses, credited government aid for restoring two blast furnaces last year, lifting output from 30% when only one operated, but emphasised self-reliance to break even amid Rs 20,000 crore losses since 2018.
Recent conveyor belt failures over 10 days, suspected as sabotage rather than neglect, have intensified alarms, prompting police probes with CCTV and lighting upgrades at critical points.
The ministry stopped short of blaming workmanship but urged vigilance against internal threats. VSP, commissioned in 1992 as a self-reliance symbol, grapples with market slumps and operational woes, its three furnaces running but output stagnant.
