Tata Steel created history by producing more than two million tons of saleable steel, for the first time, in the first half of the current financial year. Tata Steel produced 2.01 million tons of saleable steel, a jump of over 10% over its earlier performance of 1.83 million tons, in the corresponding period last year. The Company's hot metal and crude steel production were at a record high of 2.23 million tons and 2.11 million tons compared to 2.07 million tons and 1.91 million tons respectively.

The record production figures have been supported by strong domestic sales and exports. Total sales of flat products were recorded at 1.29 million tons and long products at 0.63 million tons, totaling 1.92 million tons of steel sales in H1 FY'04. Exports exceeded 0.3 million tons.

With the objective of de-linking the company's performance from the cyclical nature of commodity based steel prices to a more stable and high realization regime, Tata Steel's efforts to enrich the product mix, enter into synergistic partnerships with customers and to brand its products has paid rich dividends. The sale of branded products namely Tata Tiscon reinforcing bars, Tata Shaktee corrugated galvanized sheets and Tata Steelium cold rolled sheets, witnessed a significant spurt. This strategy has continued to facilitate Tata Steel's ambition of becoming an EVA positive company, a situation it aspires to sustain on a year-on-year basis.