The Union Government on Thursday launched SIMS 2.0, the upgraded Steel Import Monitoring System for monitoring steel imports and promoting the growth of the domestic steel industry.

The launch was done by HD Kumaraswamy, Union Minister of Steel and Heavy Industries, in the presence of Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma, Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Nagendra Nath Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Steel, and other senior officials from the Government of India.

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SIMS 2.0 features API integration with multiple government portals, enhancing quality control and streamlining processes for improved efficiency and effectiveness, Ministry of Steel said.

The portal boasts a robust data entry system, ensuring consistent and authentic data, which promotes transparency and accountability.

Integration of various databases enable stakeholders to locate areas of risk and, thereby, permit better risk management, e.g., if an import consignment declares a particular source of import, which is not licensed by BIS, then Ministry will be enabled to not recommend its import.

The detailed data will enable Customs to conduct better analysis and risk management of steel imports.

The development of SIMS 2.0 is a collaborative effort, with contributions from the DGFT, BIS, and MSTC Ltd., a CPSE under the Ministry of Steel.

Union Minister Kumaraswamy emphasized that the launch of SIMS 2.0 is a key achievement, highlighting its inclusion in the Government of India’s 100-day agenda.

He noted that this milestone represents a crucial step forward in the nation’s endeavour to bolster the domestic steel industry and achieve self-sufficiency in steel production, aligning with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Introduced in 2019, SIMS played a crucial role in providing detailed steel import data to the domestic industry.

Based on industry feedback, the Ministry has revamped the portal to develop a more effective SIMS 2.0, a significant step forward in monitoring steel imports and promoting the growth of the domestic steel industry.

Availability of such detailed data not only provides input for policy making but also signals areas for production and growth to the domestic steel industry, it said.

The minister also released the second volume of the book “Safety Guidelines for Iron of Steel Sector” containing the guidelines for 16 different processes being used by the iron and steel sector. It extends the work of the Steel Ministry of publishing 25 safety guidelines in 2020 covering specific risks.