Tata Steel created history by producing more than two million tonnes of saleable steel, for the first time, in the first half of the current financial year. Tata Steel produced 2.01 million tonnes of saleable steel, a jump of over 10 per cent over its earlier performance of 1.83 million tonnes, in the corresponding period last year. The company's hot metal and crude steel production touched a record high of 2.23 million tonnes and 2.11 million tonnes 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 tonnes and long products at 0.63 million tonnes, totaling 1.92 million tonnes of steel sales in H1 FY04, with exports exceeded 0.3 million tonnes.

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 realisation regime, Tata Steel's efforts to enrich the product mix, enter into synergistic partnerships with customers and brand its products has paid rich dividends. The sale of branded products namely Tata Tiscon reinforcing bars, Tata Shaktee corrugated galvanised 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.