Tata Steel ended the fiscal April 02-03 on a resounding note as it surpassed its performance targets and its previous best annual figures. Tata Steel's coke, hot metal, crude steel and Works saleable steel surpassed their annual operating performance targets and its previous best annual figures.

For the first time in its history, Tata Steel's Steel Works crossed the target of four million tonnes of crude steel in the year 2002-03 producing a record 4.1 million tonnes against a the previous best of 3.75mill.tonnes in 2001-02, representing an increase of 9.4%. The Steel Company achieved a record production of Hot Metal of 4.44 MT in 2002-03 against a previous best production of 4.04 MT in 2001-02, an increase of 9.9 %

In some of the areas of production, such as hot metal, crude steel,saleable steel, coal at West Bokaro Collieries, the Steel Company crossed 13 months production of the previous annual record in the 12 months of this financial year. Its Divisions/Departments, namely LD2, Hot Strip Mill, Cold Rolling Mill, Merchant Mill also witnessed 13 months production of the previous annual record during FY-03. The production of semis during the year came down by one percentage point from 15% to 14%. Saleable steel dispatches during the year were 3.91 million tones, an increase of 287,000 tonnes from the previous year's figures.

The percentage of flat products increased from 66% in the previous fiscal to 68% this year. The Cold Rolling Mill crossed the last year's performance by an increase in production of 375,000 tonnes to reach 1.1 mill. tonnes.Similarly, the Hot Strip Mill produced 2.71 mill. tonnes, an increase of 279,000 tonnes.

In the long products area, CC Billet Caster, the Wire Rod Mill and the Merchant Mill also surpassed their targets and their previous best annual figures.

The overall sales of the Steel Company was 3.793 million tones as against 3.605 million tones in 2001-02, increase of 8%.

In the raw materials area, West Bokaro and Jharia Collieries produced 2.93 mill tonnes of clean coal against previous best of 2.74 mill. tonnes achieved in 2001-02. Noamundi and Joda East Iron Ore Mines produced 7.98 million tones of iron ore against a previous best of 7.28 million tones in 01-02. The sales from these two iron ore mines were 2.11 mill. tonnes compared to 1.42 mt in the previous fiscal, an increase of 49%.

The Tubes Division of Tata Steel also created a new record by producing 0.179 mill tones and achieved sales of 0.191 mill tones in 2002-03. The Bearings Division of the Company produced a record of 20.05 million pieces against a previous best production of 17.62 million pieces in 2001-02.