In the first quarter of FY25, India has seen strong growth in the production of crucial minerals such as iron ore and limestone, following record-breaking output in FY24. Iron ore and limestone together make up about 80% of the value of total MCDR mineral production. In FY24, production levels reached 275 million metric tons (MMT) for iron ore and 450 MMT for limestone. This increase is attributed to high demand from industries including steel and cement, reflecting ongoing robust economic activity in sectors like energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery.
Provisional figures for the non-ferrous metal sector reveal a 1.2% increase in primary aluminium production for FY25 (April-June), reaching 10.43 lakh tons (LT), up from 10.28 LT in FY24. India remains a major player globally, ranking as the second-largest producer of aluminium, the third-largest producer of lime, and the fourth-largest producer of iron ore. Specifically, iron ore production grew by 9.7%, from 72 MMT in FY24 (April-June) to 79 MMT in FY25 (April-June). Limestone production also saw a 1.8% increase, from 114 MMT to 116 MMT, while manganese ore production surged by 11%, reaching 1.0 MMT.
