Essar Steel, a global producer of steel, has sketched an investment plan worth Rs 1,000 crore for setting up service centers across India, North America and the Middle East.

The Rs 1,000-crore proposed for the project would include the costs incurred on expansion of the company's existing service centres, which would cater to specific steel requirement of auto, white goods and SME sectors.

Reports suggest that, the 2.5 LTPA centre set up by the company at a cost of Rs 75 crore will make steel as per specifications asked for by its customers in North India. Further, company's new facility, which is its fourth in the country after Hazira, Pune and Chennai is being expanded to 9 million tonnes by 2010-11.  

In all, the steel manufacturer wants to establish about 15-20 such proposed centers with a cumulative capacity of 4.2 million tonnes per annum as against the present 2.5 MTPA.

The market watchers believe that latest proposed investment is part of company’s strategy to be close to its customer.