Top Steel Companies in India Compared
In this post, we compare top seven steel companies across various available parameters. We will be comparing data only for publicly listed companies which include Tata Steel, JSW Steel, SAIL, NMDC, Jindal Steel, Jindal Saw, Jindal Stainless and APL Apollo. Comparison will be done on basis of financial data, credit ratings and digital/social value.
Tata Steel 
JSW Steel 
NMDC 
Jindal Steel & Power 
SAIL 
Jindal SAW 
Jindal Stainless 
APL Apollo
Brief Information
Tata Steel: Founded by Jamshetji Tata, Tata Steel is a subsidiary of Tata Group. It is an Indian multinational with presence across the world and among the top steel producing companies in the world. Based in Jamshedpur and headquartered in Kolkata, it produces long steel products, structural steel, wire products, pipes and other household and agricultural steel products.
JSW Steel: Based out of Mumbai, JSW Steel is founded by Sajjan Jindal, son of businessman O.P. Jindal. It has a global footprint and produces flat steel products, long steel products, wire products and plates. It is one of the fastest growing companies with its presence across core economic sectors.
NMDC: National Mineral Development Corporation is an Indian government owned public sector mineral producer. It is a navratna under control of Ministry of Steel and largest iron ore producer and exporter in India.
Jindal Steel & Power: JSPL based in Hisar is a part of O.P. Jindal group. It is headed by Naveen Jindal, son of O.P. Jindal. In steel segment, it produces iron raw material, long steel products, structural steel, plates and coils. Other than steel, it is a leading player in power, mining, oil & gas and infrastructure in India.
SAIL: SAIL is one of the fastest growing government owned companies in India. It is based in New Delhi and is one of the largest steel producer in the world. It has steel plants across India producing flat steel products, long steel products, wire products, wheel and axle for indian railways, plates etc.
Jindal SAW: Jindal SAW is a part of O.P. Jindal Group and is leading global manufacturer and supplier of Iron and Steel pipe products and accessories. Company is involved in manufacturing of SAW Pipes (Submerged Arc Welded Pipes), seamless pipes, ductile iron pipes, stainless steel pipes and other related products.
Jindal Stainless: Jindal Stainless is India’s largest manufacturer of stainless steel for various grades. It is one of the top stainless steel group in the world. Headquartered in New Delhi, company is part of O.P. Jindal Group.
APL Apollo: APL Apollo is leading manufacturer of MS and Galvanized Pipes. Company, headquartered in Delhi NCR has manufacturing facilities across India producing thousands of varieties of pipes, tubes and hollow sections.
Revenues and Earnings
Here we will compare the revenues and earnings of the above listed companies. We will be looking at consolidated figures, which means we will club the financial data for company and its subsidiaries.
Sales Revenue in Rs Cr.
| Company | March 2020 | March 2019 | March 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Steel | 136,976 | 154,691 | 130,880 |
| JSW Steel | 71,116 | 82,499 | 68,813 |
| NMDC | 11,699 | 12,152 | 11,614 |
| Jindal Steel & Power | 36,917 | 38,990 | 27,068 |
| SAIL | 61,664 | 66,301 | 56,918 |
| Jindal SAW | 11,627 | 11,689 | 8,174 |
| Jindal Stainless | 12,758 | 13,400 | 11,487 |
| APL Apollo | 7,426 | 6,894 | 5,156 |
Earnings in Rs Cr.
| Company | March 2020 | March 2019 | March 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Steel | 1,556 | 10,218 | 13,434 |
| JSW Steel | 4030 | 7639 | 6214 |
| NMDC | 3573 | 4618 | 3808 |
| Jindal Steel & Power | -109 | -1645 | -1409 |
| SAIL | 2,120 | 2,348 | -281 |
| Jindal SAW | 554 | 850 | 178 |
| Jindal Stainless | 71 | 142 | 342 |
| APL Apollo | 237 | 148 | 158 |
Tata Steel is clearly lot ahead than other steel companies, followed by JSW Steel, NMDC and SAIL.
Credit Ratings
It becomes important to understand companies credit ratings too. We will be comparing credit ratings of steel companies by government authorized agencies to understand how well they can fulfill their financial obligations.
AAA > AA+ > AA > AA- > A+ > A > A- > BBB+ > BBB > BBB- > BB+ > BB > BB- > B+ > B > B- are the various ratings in order.
Here AAA is better than AA+ which in turn is better than AA, and same for other ratings. Whereas outlook shows agencies’ opinion that if the rating can improve or not in future.
| Company | Rating | Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Tata Steel | AA | Negative |
| JSW Steel | AA | Negative |
| NMDC | AAA | Stable |
| Jindal Steel & Power | BBB | Positive |
| SAIL | AA- | Negative |
| Jindal SAW | AA | Stable |
| Jindal Stainless | BBB | Stable |
| APL Apollo | A- | Stable |
Government owned NMDC has best credit ratings out of all steel companies.
Digital and Social Value
In this space, we show different parameters of companies to compare their digital and social value. These insights can vary from region to region and can be very different with ground realities. Many of the companies operate in different segments, so we should understand consumer companies will have better statistics than companies with industrial clients (like NMDC, Jindal SAW).
| Company | Google Interest | Facebook Likes | Twitter Followers | Website Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tata Steel | 68/100 | 2.4 Lacs | 65,700 | 70/100 |
| JSW Steel | 26/100 | 2.4 Lacs | 25,600 | 63/100 |
| NMDC | 10/100 | 16,000 | 9,300 | 53/100 |
| Jindal Steel & Power | 31/100 | 1 Lacs | 41,200 | 53/100 |
| SAIL | 28/100 | 1.4 Lacs | 20,000 | 66/100 |
| Jindal SAW | 2/100 | 6,000 | 1400 | 38/100 |
| Jindal Stainless | 1/100 | 3.2 Lacs | 17,200 | 39/100 |
| APL Apollo | 1/100 | 1.2 Lacs | 3100 | 35/100 |
Tata Steel leads in all areas when compared to other steel companies.
The idea of this post is to provide useful data about steel companies for different stakeholders and investors. This will serve beneficial in making informed decisions about these companies. If we miss out anything important, please let us know.