India’s mineral and non-ferrous metal production has demonstrated robust growth during the fiscal year 2024-25 (April-January). Iron ore, which constitutes 70% of the country’s total mineral production by value, saw its output rise from 228 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the previous year to 236 MMT, marking a 3.5% increase. Manganese ore production grew by 11.1% to 3.0 MMT, while chromite output increased by 8.7% to 2.5 MMT. Bauxite production also experienced a 5.6% uptick, reaching 20.6 MMT.
In the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production expanded by 1.2%, totaling 3.51 million tonnes (MT) compared to 3.467 MT during the same period last year. Refined copper production saw a more substantial growth of 7.4%, increasing from 419,000 tonnes to 450,000 tonnes.
This upward trend in mineral and metal production reflects strong demand in industries such as steel, energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery. Notably, India stands as the world’s second-largest producer of aluminium and ranks among the top ten producers of refined copper, as well as being the fourth-largest iron ore producer globally.