Ind-Ra had highlighted in the report ‘FY18 Steel Outlook: Increased Government Spending will be the Key’ that the softening of input cost would be a key determinant for the steel sector’s profitability. However, price of coking coal has surged by 100% to around USD310/t in April 2017 mom. Ind-Ra believes this may not be fully passed on and could impact profitability in 2QFY18, as for domestic steel producers it takes around two to three months from order to consumption.