News Desk: Steel Authority of India Limited’s (SAIL) Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) has won globally recognised certification from Lloyd’s Register for its indigenous shipbuilding-grade steel, a major breakthrough set to strengthen India’s maritime self-reliance and cut dependence on imported marine steel.
The certification marks a major leap for Steel Authority of India Limited in the high-value special steel segment and strengthens the country’s push towards Atmanirbhar Bharat in the maritime and defence sectors.
The approval, formally granted on May 13, 2026, follows an intensive technical qualification programme under which BSP successfully met stringent international standards for marine applications. The plant received certification for multiple general-strength shipbuilding steel grades including A, B, D and LR Grade E steels.
In the high-strength category, Lloyd’s Register also cleared a broad range of advanced marine steel variants including AH27S, AH32, AH36, AH40, DH27S, DH32, DH36, DH40, EH27S, EH32 and EH36 under the LR EH40 classification.
The road to certification, however, was far from easy.
One of the biggest hurdles involved ensuring that welding procedures, welder qualifications and welding consumables complied with globally accepted maritime standards. Engineers and technical teams carried out extensive welding trials, process optimisation and documentation reviews to satisfy the rigorous requirements laid down by Lloyd’s Register.
Advanced welding technologies such as GTAW, SMAW, GMAW and SAW underwent repeated testing and refinements during the qualification phase. Inputs and technical observations from Lloyd’s Register were incorporated into the procedures to ensure flawless compliance for marine-grade applications.
The project saw close coordination with the Welding Research Institute and crucial support from SAIL-Research and Development Centre for Iron and Steel, which worked alongside BSP’s Research and Control Laboratory throughout the process.
Industry observers say the certification could become a turning point for India’s shipbuilding ecosystem by enabling large-scale domestic production of internationally certified marine steel. The achievement is also expected to support India’s growing naval, commercial shipping and maritime infrastructure requirements.
The success further cements SAIL’s position as a key player in developing specialised steels for strategic sectors, while signalling India’s growing capability to compete in the global maritime manufacturing arena.
