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PLI 1.2 for specialty steel launched

1 min readManufacturing & PLI
Battle IAS current affairs title card: PLI 1.2 for specialty steel launched (GS3 · Industry, 4 November 2025)

What happened

  • The Steel Ministry launched the third round (PLI 1.2) of the PLI scheme for specialty steel on 4 November 2025 [PIB].
  • The ₹6,322 crore scheme (Cabinet, July 2021) has drawn committed investment of ₹43,874 crore, ₹22,973 crore already invested, and over 13,000 jobs in two rounds [PIB].
  • It covers 22 sub-categories such as super alloys, CRGO, titanium alloys and coated steel. Incentives of 4-15% apply for five years from FY 2025-26 [PIB].

Background

  • Specialty steel goes into defence, power, aerospace and infrastructure, where India still imports [PIB].

Why it matters

  • CRGO steel for transformers is a known import bottleneck. Local supply matters for the power grid build-out.

How to use this in Mains

GS-III Infrastructure: energy, ports, roads, airports, railways; investment models

  1. As per PIB (2025-11-04): the Steel Ministry launched the third round (PLI 1.2) of the PLI scheme for specialty steel on 4 November 2025.
  2. CRGO steel for transformers is a known import bottleneck. Local supply matters for the power grid build-out.
Quotable data point

The ₹6,322 crore scheme (Cabinet, July 2021) has drawn committed investment of ₹43,874 crore, ₹22,973 crore already invested, and over 13,000 jobs in two rounds.

PIB: Steel: Third round of PLI for specialty steel, 4 Nov 2025

Exam angle

UPSC

Prelims: CRGO, PLI sectors.

Practice MCQs

Original practice questions (not PYQs).

Practice · UPSC

Outlay of the specialty steel PLI

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB.

Practice · UPSC

Number of product sub-categories

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB.

Practice · UPSC

Incentive rates under the scheme range from

Answer (b) & explanation

PIB.

Go deeper

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Official source: PIB: Steel: Third round of PLI for specialty steel, 4 Nov 2025

facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending