Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) is the first of the three integrated steel plants set up by Government of India in 1959. The first Steel Industry set up under Hindustan Steel limited on 19th January 1954 which paved way for laying up of infrastructure for rapid industrialization of the country. The plant was set up in collaboration with leading steel makers of Federal Republic of Germany.

In the initial phase, 1.0 MT units were commissioned between December’ 1958 and early part of 1962. Hot Metal production in RSP started with lighting up of first Blast Furnace ‘Parvati’ on 3rd February’ 1959by his Excellency President of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad.

To meet the additional demand of flat products in the country, the capacity of the plant was expanded from 1.0 MT to 1.8 MT between the year 1965 and 1969. Besides, expansion of the capacity of the existing units, new units like Electric Sheet Mill (for Dynamo and Transformer Grade Steel) andGalvanising lines (for corrugated and plain galvanized sheets) were added.

Subsequently, a number of units were added to enhance the product quality, production, productivity and to fulfill market needs. These units included Blast Furnaces, Spiral Welded Pipe Plant, Silicon Steel Mill, Captive Power Plant‐II, Mechanical Shop, Structural & Fabrication Shop, Heavy Loco Repair Shop, Slag Granulation Plant and Coke Ovens Battery No. 5.

In the year 1988, a new era was started with modernisation in RSP. This was necessary in order to overcome technological obsolescence and to continue to remain competitive in the market place. The modernization of the plant was completed in two phases from 1994 to 1999. With this, the production capacity of the Steel Plant increased to 2 million tons of Hot Metal and 1.9 Million tons of Crude Steel. Phase‐I was completed in the year 1994 which emphasised on improving the quality of raw materials consisting of a new Oxygen Plant, upgradation schemes for Blast Furnaces, Dolomite Brick Plant, Cast House Slag Granulation Plant at Blast Furnace # 4, Raw Material Handling System, Coal Handling Plant in Coke Ovens and Power Generation and Distribution System. Phase‐II consisted of a new Sinter Plant, Basic Oxygen Furnace and Slab Casting shop in Steel Melting Shop‐II, except for Hot Strip Mill. Except Hot Strip Mill, which was completed in the year 1999, all other units were completed in the year 1997.

Rourkela Steel Plant has carved a name for itself as a unique producer of special purpose steels in the flat steel segment. Plates, Hot Rolled Coils, Cold Rolled Sheets and Coils, ERW Pipes, Spiral Weld Pipes and Silicon Steel Sheets and Coils are the products in RSP’s repertoire. RSP has many firsts to its credit. It wasthe first plant in India to incorporate LD technology of steel making. It is also the first steel plant in SAIL and the only one presently, where 100% of the slabs rolled are produced through the cost effective and quality centred continuous casting route.

RSP is the only plant in SAIL to produce silicon steels for the power sector, high quality pipes for the oil and gas sector and tin plates for the packaging industry. Another uniqueness of RSP is that it does not produce semis. The use of its Plates in ship building & high pressure vessels, Silicon Steel in the electrical machine manufacturing industries, corrugated galvanized sheets for roofing including industrial roofing, pipes in the oil & gas sectors, tin plates in packaging industry and Special Plates in the defence of the nation is well known.