Chitradurga BJP Lok Sabha member Govind M Karjol has urged the Centre to establish a National Centre for Steel Research & Innovation and a Green Steel Centre of Excellence in the Ballari–Vijayanagara region of Karnataka.
In a letter to the Chairman of the Department-related Standing Committee on Coal, Mines and Steel, Karjol highlighted that the Ballari–Vijayanagara steel belt is among the largest integrated steel production clusters in India, with abundant mineral resources, world-class manufacturing facilities and a strong industrial ecosystem, making it an ideal location for advanced steel research.
He noted that while the Ministry of Steel has promoted R&D through existing schemes, Karnataka lacks a dedicated national centre for steel research or a centre of excellence for green steel technologies. The proposed institutions would focus on hydrogen-based steelmaking, carbon capture and utilisation, AI and digital manufacturing, low-grade iron ore beneficiation, advanced steel products and circular economy practices.
Karjol also called for advanced testing, certification, technology incubation and skill development facilities to support the steel industry, MSMEs and start-ups, along with collaborative research programmes involving IISc Bengaluru, IITs, NIT Surathkal and CSIR laboratories.
The initiative would accelerate industrial development across the Kalyana Karnataka region covering Ballari, Vijayanagara, Koppal, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Bidar districts, while creating high-skilled employment and strengthening India’s position as a global leader in steel technology under Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047.
