Synopsis
The Ministry of Mines reports that India's production of vital minerals, including iron ore, manganese, and aluminium, has shown significant growth in FY 2024-25's first nine months, following record figures in FY 2023-24, highlighting robust demand and economic activity.Key Takeaways
- Production of iron ore increased by 2.5% to 208 MMT.
- Manganese ore production rose by 8.3% to 2.6 MMT.
- Chromite output grew by 9.5% to 2.3 MMT.
- Bauxite production increased by 6.5% to 18.1 MMT.
- India ranks second in aluminium and fourth in iron ore production globally.
New Delhi, Feb 3 (NationPress) The production of key minerals, such as iron ore, manganese, and aluminium, in the country has continued to exhibit robust growth during the first nine months (April-December) of FY 2024-25, following record production levels in FY 2023-24, as reported by the Ministry of Mines on Monday.
According to provisional data, the output of iron ore, which constitutes 69 percent of the total mineral production value, has escalated from 203 million metric tonnes (MMT) in FY 2023-24 (April-December) to 208 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-December), marking a growth of 2.5 percent, the official figures indicate.
The production of manganese ore has surged by 8.3 percent to 2.6 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-December) compared to 2.4 MMT during the same period of the previous year.
Moreover, the output of chromite has increased by 9.5 percent to 2.3 MMT in these nine months from 2.1 MMT in the corresponding period last year, while the production of bauxite has grown by 6.5 percent year-on-year to 18.1 MMT from 17.0 MMT.
In the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production in FY 2024-25 (April-December) has shown a growth of 1.6 percent over the same period last year, rising to 31.56 lakh tonnes (LT) from 31.07 LT. During the same comparative timeframe, refined copper production has increased by 7.3 percent from 3.69 LT to 3.96 LT, according to the official statement.
India stands as the second-largest producer of aluminium and the fourth-largest producer of iron ore globally. The nation is also among the top ten producers of refined copper.
The sustained growth in iron ore production this financial year underscores the strong demand within the steel industry, which relies on iron ore as a fundamental raw material. Coupled with growth in aluminium and copper, these trends signal ongoing robust economic activity in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery, the official statement concluded.
