TFP Bureau, New Delhi; May 3, 2024: The index of mineral production in India’s mining and quarrying sector for February 2024, based on the 2011-12 index, reached 139.6, marking an impressive 8.0% increase compared to the same period in 2023. According to provisional statistics from the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), the cumulative growth for the April-February period of 2023-24 over the previous year stands at 8.2%.
Key highlights of mineral production in February 2024 include:
– Coal: 966 lakh tonnes
– Lignite: 42 lakh tonnes
– Natural Gas (utilized): 2886 million cubic meters
– Petroleum (crude): 23 lakh tonnes
– Bauxite: 2414 thousand tonnes
– Chromite: 400 thousand tonnes
– Copper Concentrate: 11 thousand tonnes
– Gold: 255 kilograms
– Iron Ore: 244 lakh tonnes
– Lead Concentrate: 27 thousand tonnes
– Manganese Ore: 295 thousand tonnes
– Zinc Concentrate: 149 thousand tonnes
– Limestone: 387 lakh tonnes
– Phosphorite: 218 thousand tonnes
– Magnesite: 10 thousand tonnes
Noteworthy minerals that exhibited positive growth in February 2024 compared to February 2023 include:
– Gold: 86%
– Copper Concentrate: 28.7%
– Bauxite: 21%
– Chromite: 21%
– Phosphorite: 19%
– Limestone: 13%
– Coal: 12%
– Natural Gas (utilized): 11%
– Petroleum (crude): 8%
– Manganese Ore: 6%
– Magnesite: 3%
– Lignite: 2.8%
– Zinc Concentrate: 2.8%
However, some minerals experienced negative growth during this period:
– Iron Ore: -0.7%
– Lead Concentrate: -14%
The significant increase in mineral production, particularly in gold, copper concentrate, and bauxite, underscores India’s growing mining sector and its contribution to the nation’s industrial and economic landscape.