The company substantially improved its performance over the corresponding period last year by registering a six per cent and eight per cent growth in saleable steel production and sales, respectively.

In the first nine months of 2006-07, the SAIL plants operated at an average capacity utilisation of 112 per cent, producing 9.328 million tonne of saleable steel, an increase of six per cent.

Production of value-added items like rounds & bars, medium structurals, hot rolled coils and plates recorded a growth of 23 per cent, 15 per cent, 14 per cent and five per cent respectively, during the period.

The record third quarter sales took SAIL's nine-month total sales to 8.412 million tonne an increase of 13 per cent.

In the domestic market, the company sold 2.9 million tonne of steel during the third quarter, an increase of 10.4 per cent, and 8.013 million tonne during April-December 2006, a growth of 13 per cent.

SAIL's corporate plan was also underway. The SAIL board gave in-principle approval to 13 projects involving investment of over Rs. 10,000 crore during October-December 2006.