NEW DELHI: India has overtaken the US to become the third-largest steel producer in the world with a production of 14.6 million tonnes (MT) in first two months of the year.

India has been the fourth-largest steel producer for the past five years, behind China, Japan and the US.

World Steel Association data showed that the country’s production growth was the highest during the January-February period at 7.6% as compared to the global average of just 0.6 per cent at 127.6 MT.

Production in China, which accounts for nearly half of the global steel production, fell during the period by 1.5%.