India's mineral production rises 5.1 per cent in December
Coal production stood at 929 lakh tonnes while lignite was 40 lakh tonnes, iron ore at 255 lakh tonnes and limestone at 372 lakh tonnes
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New Delhi: India's mineral output increased by 5.1 per cent in December compared to the year-ago period, the government said on Thursday.
The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for December 2023 at 139.4 is 5.1 per cent higher as compared to the level witnessed in the corresponding month of 2022, the mines ministry said in a statement.
The cumulative growth rate in the mining and quarrying sector for the April-December period of the current fiscal over the corresponding period of the previous financial year is 8.5 per cent, as per the provisional statistics of the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).
In December, coal production stood at 929 lakh tonnes while that of lignite was at 40 lakh tonnes, iron ore at 255 lakh tonnes and limestone at 372 lakh tonnes.
Production of lignite, limestone, coal, bauxite and natural gas showed positive growth.
However, negative growth was registered in the production of petroleum (crude), gold, chromite, phosphorite and diamond.
The ministry further said that the country produced iron ore worth Rs 9,360 crore in December 2023, higher from Rs 6,943 crore in the year-ago month.
In the case of limestone, the output was worth Rs 984 crore in December last year compared to Rs 887 crore in December 2022.
Silver production was worth Rs 452 crore in December 2023, up from Rs 305 crore a year ago, the ministry said.
