Study of evolution of policy action of minimum import price for stressed Indian steel sector

This research paper use stakeholder’s salience theoretical concept of Mitchell et al. (1997: 853-882) in public policy arena. It has been argued that Ministry of Steel in India took a policy step of imposition of Minimum Imports Price (MIP) to ease out the challenges faced by Indian steel sector in terms of increased imports and decreasing financial strengths. The policy action evolved had an effect of containing import growth. The policy action was aligned with the objective of National Steel Policy, however, stakeholder companies and Industry associations desired other policy actions too. Stakeholder’s classification as provided in theoretical framework has been arrived at by calculating salience based on attributes of power, legitimacy and urgency towards MIP policy action. The results of stakeholder’s salience and MIP decision have been analysed to show correlatable findings as per theory of stakeholder’s salience. Dynamic nature of salience in public policy may require detailed and frequent use of stakeholder’s salience framework to further elaborate and analyse relationship of salience, policy action and governance.