Post by ArcelorMittal

Our Executive Chairman, Lakshmi Mittal, reflected on 20 years of ArcelorMittal - and the future of steel - in a special address to the World Steel Dynamics annual Global Steel Dynamics Forum 2026, held earlier this week in New York. On the merger that created ArcelorMittal, he said: “If I look back over the 20 years, I genuinely believe that the merger did indeed create a stronger company, benefiting from greater scale, diversification, resilience and strategic reach. Clearly – as is always the way - there have been events we did not anticipate. The aftershocks of the Global Financial Crisis are still with us, and the fallout from COVID has been similarly dramatic. I am adamant though that we navigated these shocks better together than we could have done separately.” And looking to the future, he added: “The last 20 years has been characterized by China’s remarkable growth. Now it is India’s turn, with massive infrastructure expansion, rapid urban housing growth, and energy transition infrastructure all on the cards.  “There are plenty of reasons to remain optimistic and excited about the future. I have no doubt that we will continue to face plenty of challenges and unexpected events. But honestly, I can say that after 50 years in the steel industry, there is no place I would rather be.”

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