Tag: geography

The process of sponge iron manufacturing involves removal of oxygen from iron ore. When that happens, the departing oxygen causes micro pores in the ore body, turning it porous. When the eventual product is observed under a microscope, it resembles a honeycomb structure, which looks spongy in texture. Hence the name sponge iron. India ranked first in 2013 by producing 18.679 tons of sponge iron. India is the world's largest producer of sponge iron, most of which is produced primarily through the coal-based method of production.

From the 17th century onwards, several European travelers observed the steel manufacturing in South India, at Mysore, Malabar and Golconda.

Rao Bahadur T.M. Appu Nedungadi  established Nedungadi Bank in 1899 in Calicut, Kerala. It was the first private bank in not just Kerala but the whole South India. The bank was incorporated in 1913. 

Tippu Sultan's sword was made up of the Wootz steel, which was manufactured in Southern India. Wootz Steel is produced by a method known in ancient India. The process involved preparation of porous iron, hammering it while hot to release slag, breaking it up and sealing it with wood chips in a clay container, and heating it until the pieces of iron absorbed carbon from the wood and melted. The steel thus produced had a uniform composition of 1–1.6% carbon and could be heated and forged into bars for later use in fashioning articles, such as the famous medieval Damascus swords.

Hindustan Steel Limited  was established in 1954 as a construction organization under the Ministry of Steel, Govt of India. It was formed with a mandate of developing and sourcing indigenous capabilities for setting up of integrated steel plants in India. It has a rich exposure in extraction of minerals and coal from open cast mines, removal of over burden etc. during the last decade.

Bokaro Steel Plant (BSP) is located in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand. . It is the fourth integrated public sector steel plant in India built with Soviet help. It was incorporated as a limited company in 1964. It was later merged with the state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).