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14th IREFCON 2022
Sunday, September 18, 2022
2020 marked the beginning of a decade which is likely to see refractory growth in India at a speed and scale never witnessed before. Various industry estimates peg the refractory market in India to reach 4 Mt by 2030. Not surprising since the Indian steel manufacturing industry alone has set itself a target of 300 Mt of production by 2030. Considering 75 % of refractory consumption in India is accounted for by steel, adding cement, glass and manufacturing of other non-ferrous metals to the mix suddenly makes the prospect of a 4-Mt-refractory-market look very real and reasonable.
Is the current refractory manufacturing ecosystem ready to stand up to this mammoth task of supporting such an aggressive market? The question is even more important in the context of a global pandemic which we are not fully out of. The pandemic has disrupted and reset global supply-chain to such a degree both refractory makers and users are grappling with a business environment characterised by frequent and unpredictable changes. The war in Ukraine has only added new elements to this complex operational puzzle with energy and economic costs hitting levels not seen in decades perhaps. Despite all challenges, the opportunity is real and begs dialogue and discussion. The 14th India International Refractories Congress on 16–18 November 2022 in The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, Kolkata, intends to find answers to the most pressing questions.
