【Ferro-alloys.com】：The company forecasts that steel production in the country will grow faster than iron ore production.

Brazilian mining company Vale is looking to expand its business in India, not only by increasing ore shipments to the country but also by exploring other opportunities. Vale’s Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations, Rogerio Nogueira, spoke about this in an interview with Bloomberg.

““India could be an opportunity not just for sales, but also to source iron ore, blend it and trade it — finding better markets for their products,” he explained.

In recent years, the agency notes, the country has been a bright spot in the global seaborne iron ore market—the country’s mills have ramped up steel production to meet the needs of infrastructure development and growing consumer demand. At the same time, China is slowing down steel production. This contrast means that India is a potential source of growth for Vale, as well as for other major players—BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group.

While the Brazilian mining company forecasts a slight decline in Chinese steel production, Indian steelmaking capacity is expected to more than triple to 500 million tons by 2050, as Nogueira noted. India will not be another China, but Vale will have a larger share.

This forecast is generally in line with the Australian government’s short-term projections. According to a recent quarterly review by the country’s Ministry of Industry, Science, and Resources, steel production in India could reach 184 million metric tons in 2027, up from 165 million metric tons in 2025.

India is also considered one of the fastest-growing markets for iron ore. According to Australian forecasts, imports of this raw material into the country will increase from 16 million tons in 2025 to 30 million tons by 2027. Vale expects domestic steel production in the country to grow faster than iron ore production due to obstacles such as licensing.

According to Nogueira, the Brazilian mining company aims to expand its presence in India over time, with sales volumes expected to grow by 50% in 2026—to approximately 15 million tons. Additionally, he noted that Brazilian ore has a chemical composition that complements that of Indian ore. This could potentially help Vale expand its expertise in the supply and distribution chain.

Vale operates two distribution centers in Malaysia and Oman and has long-term agreements with 22 ports in China, which also serve as hubs. In February of this year, the company signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the joint development of a blending plant with India’s Adani Ports and the state-owned mining company NMDC Ltd. Rogério Nogueira reported that other similar partnerships were also being considered.

As a reminder, Vale increased its iron ore production last year by 2.6% year-over-year to 336 million tons. This is reportedly the highest annual volume since 2018. Production exceeded last year’s forecast (325–335 million tons).

• [Editor:Alakay]