In the first quarter of FY 2024-25, India’s production of key minerals such as iron ore and limestone has shown robust growth, following record production levels in FY 2023-24. These two minerals together account for about 80% of the total mineral production by value under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MCDR).
Iron ore production reached 275 million metric tons (MMT) and limestone production hit 450 MMT in FY 2023-24. In Q1 of FY 2024-25, iron ore production surged by 9.7% to 79 MMT, up from 72 MMT in the same period last year. Limestone production also saw a modest increase of 1.8%, rising from 114 MMT to 116 MMT over the same period.
In the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production posted a growth of 1.2% in Q1 FY 2024-25, reaching 10.43 lakh tons (LT), up from 10.28 LT in the corresponding period of the previous year.
India stands as the second-largest producer of aluminium, the third-largest producer of limestone, and the fourth-largest producer of iron ore globally. The continued growth in the production of iron ore and limestone reflects the strong demand conditions in user industries such as steel and cement. This, combined with the growth in aluminium production, points towards sustained economic activity in sectors like energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery.
Furthermore, manganese ore production has seen a significant jump of 11%, increasing from 0.9 MMT in Q1 FY 2023-24 to 1.0 MMT in Q1 FY 2024-25. This consistent growth across multiple key minerals underscores the resilient demand and robust growth trajectory of India’s mining sector.
