India's JSW Vijayanagar Metallics, a subsidiary of JSW Steel, has successfully initiated operations at a hot strip mill with an annual production capacity of 5 million tons at its integrated steel plant in Vijayanagar, Karnataka. The commencement of trial operations on March 17 led to the official launch of commercial production and sales, with the first batch of products already dispatched. This cutting-edge mill is capable of manufacturing plates and coils, featuring advanced technologies like digital heating furnaces, evaporative cooling, and waste heat recovery systems.JSW Steel is also gearing up to unveil a new blast furnace at its Dolva steel plant in Maharashtra by 2026, with a projected annual capacity of 4.5 million tons, aiming to boost its current production capacity of 10 million tons per year through blast furnace and electric arc furnace operations. Moreover, the company has initiated the construction of a new steel plant in Paradip, Odisha, with an annual capacity of 13.2 million tons, including a power plant, berths, and a cement shop, with investments totaling around 650 billion rupees ($7.8 billion). Additionally, JSW Steel is forming a joint venture with Japan's JFE Steel Corporation, with plans to invest 55 billion rupees (about $663 million) to establish a plant in Karnataka, expected to commence production in FY2026/2027 to cater to the rising demand for grain steel in India.