India’s mineral and non-ferrous metal production maintained strong growth in FY 2024-25 (April-January), building on record levels achieved in FY 2023-24. Iron ore, which contributes 70% of the total MCDR mineral production by value, saw production reach 274 million metric tonnes (MMT) in FY 2023-24. According to provisional data, iron ore production rose by 3.5% to 236 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-January) from 228 MMT in the same period last year. Manganese ore production increased by 11.1% to 3.0 MMT, up from 2.7 MMT, while chromite production climbed 8.7% to 2.5 MMT from 2.3 MMT. Bauxite production also grew by 5.6% to 20.6 MMT compared to 19.5 MMT in the previous fiscal year. In the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production grew by 1.2%, reaching 35.10 lakh tonnes (LT) in FY 2024-25 (April-January) from 34.67 LT in the same period last year. Refined copper production saw a significant 7.4% increase, rising to 4.50 LT from 4.19 LT. India remains the world’s second-largest aluminium producer, among the top 10 in refined copper production, and the fourth-largest iron ore producer. The consistent rise in iron ore output reflects strong demand from the steel industry, while growth in aluminium and copper production highlights continued economic activity in sectors like energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery. (PIB)