TATA Wiron Driving Purposeful Innovations and Sustainability in the Steel Wire Segment

Tata Wiron, the flagship brand of Global Wire India (a division of Tata Steel), is focused on building technologically-advanced and sustainable products to drive purposeful innovation in the steel wire segment. The company provides steel wire solutions across key sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, automotive, general engineering, and poultry and is strengthening its omnichannel presence, through its online platform, ‘Ashiana’. In an exclusive interview with Wire & Cable India, Mr. Anurag Pandey, Executive Incharge of Global Wires India at Tata Steel, shared that the company is expected to reach approximately 0.65 million tonnes per annum by the end of this financial year and remains on track to achieve its aspiration of 1 million tonnes per annum by FY 2030. He also emphasized the role of government initiatives, including PLI schemes and large-scale infrastructure projects, driving growth across the steel wire segment.

Wire & Cable India: Could you please tell us about your company, your manufacturing capacities, your product portfolio especially for the steel wire segment.

Anurag Pandey: Global Wires India (GWI), a division of Tata Steel, is one of the largest steel wire manufacturers in the world with a combined annual manufacturing capacity of 0.42 million tonnes per annum. The company has industrial facilities in Tarapur, Jamshedpur and Pithampur.

From being incorporated in 1958 as Special Steels Private Limited to becoming a subsidiary of Tata Steel in 1979 and subsequently, a division of Tata Steel in 2002, GWI has come a long way.

The company caters to the infrastructure, automotive, general engineering and retail segment, with its products uniquely catering to each segment.

Our company provides fencing solutions for both rural and urban markets, wires designed specifically for creeper crops, and wires meeting requirements of poultry cages. For the automotive sector, we manufacture spring wire, MTB wire (tyre bead wire), and spoke wire. In spring wire, we are now also catering to IHT (induction hardened and tempered) spring wire requirements for high CC bikes. In general engineering, we also cater to the upholstery market (spring mattresses).

We also have an online presence with ‘Aashiyana’ that allows its retail customers to order its products from the comfort of their home. The 24×7 online platform provides free and fast shipping with on-site delivery across India, within 48-72 hours of placing an order. The company and its team work with integrity and synergy to provide purposeful innovations, thereby strengthening the world’s future.

Watch: Top Cable Companies in India 

WCI: Global Wires India has had the ambitious aim to double its production capacity to 1 million tonnes by 2030. Could you please walk us through the progress the company has made till now, and how do you target to achieve this projection?

AP: We were at 0.3 million tonnes in FY 2021, and with all the ongoing projects, we expect to reach approximately 0.65 million tonnes per annum by the end of this financial year, March 2026. Looking ahead, we have planned further expansions for the next financial year. We remain on track to achieve our aspiration of 1 million tonnes per annum by FY 2030. Having already covered half the journey, we are confident about reaching our goal in the coming years.

WCI: The government is making significant investments in the infrastructure sector. How do you see this support contributing to the steel wire segment?

AP: The government, in the last 4-5 years, has helped the Indian steel wire industry to drive consumption, especially after COVID-19. By investing heavily in ambitious infrastructure projects like ports, highways, bullet trains, and metro lines, the government has driven the demand for steel wire products. For instance, metro projects are using LRPC strands, tyre manufacturers are using tyre bead wires, and with the rural economy boosting, fencing solutions are widely used in rural areas. So in all these segments, government spending has given the steel wire segment a good push.

Although the government has put money on the table, many new projects are still in their early stages. Following last year’s elections and the formation of the new government, budgets have been announced, yet capital expenditure is still gaining momentum. As a result, we’re experiencing some short-term challenges.

On the positive side, the rural economy is doing pretty well due to the government support towards the rural economy. The direct benefit transfers, and good monsoons are key enablers that drive the rural economy which is performing better than the urban economy at the moment. We are waiting for the government capex to kick-in. The government has big plans, and once these projects pick up speed, we expect to see rising demands in the future.

WCI: How is the government pushing for value-added products in the steel wire segment to influence the growth of the domestic industry?

AP: The government is clearly pushing for value-added products like induction-hardened and tempered wires, and motor tyre bead wires. In fact, new products are continuously being added under the PLI scheme, reflecting the government’s intent to encourage the domestic industry to manufacture these value-added products that were previously imported.

For example, IHT (induction-hardened and tempered) springs were entirely imported till three years ago. In 2021-22, we installed a line to manufacture these products, even before the PLI incentives were introduced, to serve the local market. Our aim was to provide a smoother, more reliable supply chain compared to international sourcing, given the global volatility in the international supply chain.

Today, even the customers are also looking for local solutions, to mitigate volatility in the market and the supply chain.

WCI: Amid many challenges in the steel wire industry, imported products are a pain point for Indian manufacturers. How do you solve or win over such competition?

AP: When it comes to finished products, particularly long products, we don’t face significant pressure from imports. The impact is more pronounced in flat products. There are challenges in some wire categories, but overall, the situation is manageable.

The government has implemented quality control orders (QCO) and quality standard norms that has helped in ensuring that only compliant, high-quality products enter the market. As a result, the wire industry, to a large extent, is not facing major challenges from imports at this point.

With quality products reaching the market, these products need to be priced appropriately, creating some pressure for the manufacturers. However, it’s not a substantial challenge as we see in flat products.

WCI: Sustainability is the nucleus of the manufacturing industry. How do you incorporate sustainability initiatives in your operations?

AP: While product development continues, the bigger focus across the industry now is on sustainability. It’s becoming an integral part of the business, and all our major customers are actively pushing us in this direction.
Tata Steel, a leading organisation in the steel sector, is driving towards sustainability. We are setting up an electric arc furnace in Ludhiana, which will significantly reduce CO2 emissions. Similarly, we’ve laid the foundation for electric arc furnaces in our UK operations. A lot of work is also being done to minimize the use of acid, improve rainwater harvesting, reduce water consumption, and adopt new technologies that support these goals.

Sustainability is where we see the most innovation happening. Although local product developments continue, sustainability is the larger journey, and customers and industries are holding hands to undertake this initiative together.

WCI: How do you ensure quality of products to meet the consumer demands?

AP: All our units of operation adhere to strict quality parameters and are ISO and IATF-certified. Our dedicated team of technicians, engineers and other personnel ensure stringent quality parameters in products and processes through a committed system of evaluation and control. Our commitment to quality is exceptional, and to ensure the same, we are manufacturing wire products based on international standards, and our machines were calibrated to the same.

WCI: Can you cite an example of purposeful innovation that sets you apart from your competitors?

AP: Wiron Aayush is a perfect example of purposeful innovation and resilience by our team who toiled for three years to bring this new product to the market. It is a technologically superior and a groundbreaking product that is now a patented technology available with us.

Aayush, which means long life in Sanskrit, has twice the life of regular galvanized wires. Wiron Aayush is sealed in a transparent coating which prevents corrosive chemicals from reaching the metal surface and its blue tinge helps customers in identifying it easily.

The Aayush coating helps prevent corrosion caused by the pervasive humid climate in these states. This is one of our unique products that sets us apart from our competitors.

WCI: Can you tell us about some of your major projects in the steel wire segment?

AP: Tata Wiron has supplied LRPC strands to about 70% of the metro projects in India. We have also supplied LRPC strands to all the flyovers that were constructed in Mumbai since 2001.

The Bandra Worli sea link is a first-of-its-kind bridge to be constructed in open sea conditions in India. We supplied approximately 4500 metric tonnes of LRPC strands to this project. Rajgir Zoo Safari in Bihar was another exciting prospect for us. We provided unusual and novel chain-link sized up to 14.5 feet to this wildlife project, considering it was an enclosure to highly mobile animals like leopards, tigers, lions etc. The team collaboratively developed an optimal production strategy for two different mesh sizes—9 feet 5 inches and 5 feet chain-links—which were manufactured at our ISWP and Tarapur facilities. Installation was executed by one of our trusted vendors, and we ensured the timely dispatch of the finished material to Rajgir.

We successfully passed the inspection and quality assurance tests conducted by the DFO department and received a green signal from the Chief Minister for expedited installation in the region. These projects stand among our most successful and innovative steel wire initiatives to date.

Also Read: Group Nirmal Invests INR 100 Crore to Boost Capacities; Sets Benchmark with JIS Certification

WCI: What are the certifications achieved by your company?

AP: We have achieved several important certifications and ISO standards across our operations. Global Wires India is certified with ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018. Our PC strand manufacturing labs are certified with ISO/IEC 17025 (NABL accredited).  Our manufacturing locations also hold more than 15 BIS licenses across various products.

WCI: What are your future growth plans or investments aimed at strengthening your market position in the steel wire segment?

AP: We have set an aspiration to reach 1 million tonnes by FY30. Although the accomplishment of the goal will depend on demand and market scenario, our strategy is clearly laid out. It might vary by a year or two, but we’re on track. We’ve already achieved 0.65 million tonnes as planned, and within the next four years from FY27 to FY30, we’re focused on covering the remaining gap.