Tata Steel, sixth largest steel company around the globe, has announced that its sales have witnessed 18% jump to 4.78 lakh tonnes in July.

Tata Steel stated in a communiqué that the growth in company's sales is on the back of strong demand from the auto and construction sectors.

During the similar period previous fiscal, the steel major's sales stood at 4.05 lakh tonnes. The company added that in the review month there was a 48% growth in the sales of long steel products, primarily consumed by construction firms, over the corresponding period a year ago.

During the month under review, the company saw its crude steel output climbing by 27% to 5.53 lakh tonnes as compared to 4.36 lakh tonnes in the same period last fiscal. Its saleable steel production also witnessed a jump of 24% to 5.39 lakh tonnes last month as against 4.35 tonnes in July 2008.

The company's hot metal production too went up to 5.97 lakh tonnes, up 24% as compared to 4.82 lakh tonnes produced a year ago.

Besides hot metal, the firm informed that its steel melting shops and hot-strip mill too recorded best-ever production.