Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)

"Iranian trade negotiators have become more assertive with Indian counterparts as hopes rise of international sanctions on Tehran easing later this year, sources said, and Indian companies fear they may lose business as more countries bid for projects. The push back from the Iranians came as a surprise to India, which has enjoyed special dispensation from Tehran as one of only a handful of countries willing to do business with it while it faced Western economic sanctions. Under a tentative framework agreement reached between six major powers and Tehran in April, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activity in return for sanctions relief. A final deal could be reached by June 30. That prospect appears to have emboldened Iran, said sources familiar with trade negotiations with India, including in its handling of a sizeable deal to import railway tracks. The $233 million contract, signed last October, was for India's State Trading Corp (STC) to facilitate exports of rail tracks from SAIL Ltd and Jindal Steel and Power Ltd to Iran's railways. But Iran told Indian negotiators that it had offers from other countries, including Turkey, to supply the equipment at a cheaper cost, the sources said." (Reuters, "With nuclear deal in sight, Iran drives harder bargain in Indian trade talks," 5/19/15)

--

“Abbas Nazari, director of international affairs at the Iranian Railways Company, said officials of India's STC will come to Iran next week to pave the way for selling 200,000 tons of rail tracks, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on April 28. On April 20, the Indian Express reported that with the Western nations easing sanctions on Iran, India's biggest steel maker SAIL is all set to sign a definitive agreement to help Tehran set up a railway network project spanning over 15,000 km to connect its major ports and key production centers…Last year, Washington had eased sanctions on Iran, which has enabled Indian companies to explore investment options. The Indian commerce ministry officials had in December last year, met the top brass of SAIL, BHEL and railway infrastructure builder IRCON to consider investing in Iran.” (Trend “Iran plans to import 200,000 tons of rail tracks from India,” 4/28/14)

--

“With the Western nations easing sanctions on Iran, the country’s biggest steel maker SAIL is all set to sign a definitive agreement to supply steel worth nearly Rs 15,000 crore to help Tehran set up a railway network project spanning over 15,000 km to connect its major ports and key production centres…When contacted, SAIL chairman C S Verma said after several rounds of discussions with the commerce ministry and STC, SAIL has expressed its readiness in supplying 3 MT rail steel. ‘We are supplying rails to Indian Railways since many years. Our director commercial Vinod Kumar would accompany Khaleel Rahim to help him finalise the modalities,’ Verma said. SAIL’s Bhilai steel plant is the sole supplier of the country’s longest rail tracks of 260 metres. With an annual production capacity of 3.15 MT of saleable steel, the plant also specialises in other products such as wire rods and merchant products.” (The Indian Express, “SAIL to ink pact with Iran for supplying railway tracks,” 4/20/14)