In an interview with Stainless Today at the Global Stainless Steel Expo 2025, Vijay Bhandari, Director of Minox Metal, shares his thoughts on how Indian stainless steel innovations are improving efficiency, quality, and ready-to-use solutions.

The stainless steel industry in India is evolving rapidly, driven by innovations that are transforming how the material is processed and used. New technologies like advanced polishing techniques, anti-fingerprint coatings and precision finishes are enabling industries to improve efficiency, reduce production time and deliver higher-quality products. Rising demand in construction, pharmaceuticals, elevators, and white goods is making India a hub for advanced stainless steel solutions.

In an exclusive interview with Stainless Today at the Global Stainless Steel Expo (GSSE) 2025, Vijay Bhandari, Director of Minox Metal shares his insights on the latest innovations and trends in the Indian stainless steel industry. He also explains how these innovations are helping industries across India improve productivity, reduce processing time, and access ready-to-use stainless steel tailored to their needs.

Could you please introduce your company to us?

Based in Bangalore, Minox Metal has branches in Ahmedabad and Chennai. Our company started in 2005. That’s when the concept of a service centre began. At that time, it was a new idea in India to start a service centre that catered to industries requiring ready-to-use material. Wherever people needed, they could get material cut to size and finished as per their requirements. That was the concept we started with, and it has been a journey of almost 20 years. Now we have three units in Bangalore, covering almost 10 acres, along with two warehouses in Bangalore and one in Ahmedabad. Soon, we are also starting a new facility in Ahmedabad with the same service centre concept.

Facility-wise, we have cut-to-length lines, slitting lines, narrow slitters, coil-to-coil polishing, sheet-to-sheet polishing, vibration finish, bead blast finish, and PVD coating. We focus on innovation, and every two to three years we keep adding new lines and products based on industry demand. Recently, we have added a plate polishing machine, which is the first of its kind in the country. This innovation will help industries that earlier spent 15 to 20 days polishing a single tank.

With this new technology, we can now deliver pre-polished sheets, and all they need to do is weld them, making the tank ready immediately. This machine can polish up to 25 mm thickness in No. 4 finish, with RA as low as 0.2 or 0.15, and it can also achieve No. 8 finish on sheets up to 20 mm thick and 2 metres by 9 metres in size, which is again the first in India.

We are also introducing an anti-fingerprint coating line, both coil-to-coil and sheet-to-sheet. This coating prevents fingerprint marks, making it ideal for industries like white goods, elevators, and architecture. It is another innovative line, also the first in the country.

How was your experience at the GSSE?

We regularly participate in stainless steel expos. This is our third time at GSSE, and we also take part in expos for the elevator industry and others. Being part of the industry in such events helps us showcase our products to a wide audience. People come, see our innovations, and appreciate the quality. All kinds of stainless steel users are here, visiting over three days, and many participants are showcasing their work. We are displaying our PVD coatings and our new innovations in strips, plate polishing, mirror polishing, and finishes like vibration and bead blast, all of which we are proud to offer in India for the first time.

How has the visitor response been at the expo?

We have had visitors from all segments. People who visit us are highly relevant. Many are our existing clients, so we get time to sit with them, discuss, and understand their requirements. Some new visitors are discovering our products for the first time. One gentleman told me, “I cannot believe this is made in India, this will help my pharma industry a lot.” Such feedback is very encouraging. When people see our products, they are delighted because they directly help improve their production efficiency.

We often say stainless steel is the material of the future. Do you think it will continue to evolve?

Yes, the usage of stainless steel has expanded tremendously. If you look at the past 20 years, our own consumption has grown from 5 to 10 tonnes per month in 2005 to about 1,500 tonnes today. Things have changed drastically. Globally too, stainless steel usage has increased because it is a sustainable material with excellent longevity and almost zero maintenance. It is also finding more applications in construction, including rebars, which will benefit the industry immensely.

Shall we look forward to also seeing you at the next edition of GSSE?

Yes, absolutely. We will be part of GSSE every year, not just next year, but every year going forward.

The stainless steel industry in India is clearly at an exciting stage of growth and transformation. Industries are improving efficiency by adopting innovations such as advanced polishing, anti-fingerprint coatings, and specialised finishes. Companies like Minox Metal are introducing new technologies, and Indian industries are using them to deliver higher-quality products faster and meet growing demand across sectors. These developments are making a real difference across sectors such as construction, pharmaceuticals, elevators, and white goods. The future of stainless steel in India looks promising, with growing opportunities for innovation and growth.