Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Dharmendra Pradhan today said that metals and mining sector can play an important role in the making of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Speaking at the 58th National Metallurgists Day and at the 74th Annual Technical Meeting of the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM), he said that this is a vibrant and growing sector, and it holds tremendous amount of potential and promise of growth not only for the sector but for the economy as well. Describing the Budget 2021 as path-breaking, progressive and pro-growth, Pradhan said that it provides unprecedented focus on infrastructure creation for future. He said that this will certainly result in increased demand for steel. Investments in core sectors like railways, roadways, and petroleum and natural gas, which have the potential for spurring demand for metals, has seen a healthy increase across the board.