India steel output to double by 2012: Steel minister

India's steel minister Virbhadra Singh on Monday said that India has set a target of 124 million tonnes of steel production by December 2012, to double the production. He also said that it is a viable target based on current position. According to India's Steel Ministry, steel production rose 4.2 per cent in 2009-2010. The ministry report said that India has emerged as the fifth largest producer of steel in the world and is likely to become the second largest producer of crude steel by 2015-16.