Mumbai Ferrous Scrap Prices Overtake Pune

For years, it was the unwritten rule of the Maharashtra scrap trade: for the best ferrous scrap rates, send your material to Pune. As of this week, that rule is broken. In a significant market shift, the price for common mixed ferrous scrap in Mumbai has now edged past the Pune rate, flipping a long-standing dynamic and creating immediate risks and opportunities for dealers and recyclers.

As of 19th September 2026, baseline mixed ferrous scrap in Mumbai is trading at approximately ₹33.85/kg, while the same material in Pune is fetching around ₹33.57/kg. While the difference seems small, it signals the complete erosion of the "Pune premium," which stood at a substantial ₹5,450 per tonne as recently as mid-July. This inversion means that any seller still sending material to Pune by default is likely losing money on freight.

What is Changing?

The historic price advantage in Pune was driven by strong, concentrated demand from the region's automotive and engineering industries. Dealers from across Maharashtra, including the Marathwada region, would factor in the higher transport cost to Pune because the final selling price justified it.

Now, that calculation has flipped. Increased demand from mills and furnaces in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), combined with post-monsoon restocking, appears to have tightened supply on the coast, pushing prices up. The market is now rewarding sellers who can land material in Mumbai, not just Pune.

The Numbers You Should Know

These are the benchmark rates causing the market to shift. Note that prices for specific, clean grades will be higher, but the relationship between the two cities holds.