Rural India has a huge potential for consumption of steel and marketers should focus on exploring this segment, C S Verma, chairman of the country's largest steel-maker SAIL, has said.

"With per capita consumption of steel at a level of only 15 kg in rural India, a vast potential exists for steel marketers to enhance sales in the segment," Verma said here while reviewing the performance of the eastern region sales force of the company's Central Marketing Organisation (CMO) last week.

Verma said with rural incomes rising in recent years and aspirations of the rural populace changing in tandem, strengthening of retail marketing has become imperative to retain the company's market leadership.

At present, SAIL has a countrywide retail network comprising around 2,400 dealers at the district level and around 500 dealers at the taluka and block level.

He also urged the CMO to attain higher peaks of achievement by strengthening customer-centric efforts, including customisation of products.