HR Strip market in India rallied late March after a brief weekly squeeze, reversing a softer tone earlier in the month. Early March bidding remained firm as mills kept steady runs, while a mid-month correction and stock buildup at service centres weighed on sentiment. A late-month lift in weekly buying and distributor repositioning rekindled activity and prompted traders to reassess near-term availability. Overall conditions remain finely balanced between steady domestic runs and incremental imported offers, with scheduled port discharges and ongoing public infrastructure demand watched for directional influence into April. Demand was uneven across end-use sectors: automotive and appliance intake remained weak, contributing to stock builds at northern service centres, while construction and infrastructure offered only modest support. Mills operated with high utilisation and imports remained a smaller share of supply, while input costs stayed subdued.
