Bauxite decreased by 1.5 per cent, Zinc Concentrate declined by 4.1 per cent, Lignite production saw a decrease of 5.4 per cent, and Lead Concentrate recorded a significant drop of 15.1 per cent

The latest data from the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) reveals a notable surge in the index of mineral production within the mining and quarrying sector for the month of August 2023. This index, based on 2011-12 as the reference year (100), stands at 111.9, reflecting a substantial 12.3 per cent increase when compared to August 2022. Over the cumulative period of April to August 2023-24, the growth rate stands at 8.3 per cent  in contrast to the corresponding period in the previous year.

In August 2023, the production levels of various crucial minerals were as follows: Coal reached 684 lakh tonnes, Lignite amounted to 28 lakh tonnes, Natural gas (utilised) recorded 3110 million cubic meters, Crude Petroleum reached 25 lakh tonnes, Bauxite stood at 1428 thousand tonnes, Chromite at 148 thousand tonnes, Copper concentrate at 10 thousand tonnes, Gold production reached 113 kilograms, Iron ore production was 181 lakh tonnes, Lead concentrate totaled 30 thousand tonnes, Manganese ore production reached 233 thousand tonnes, Zinc concentrate amounted to 132 thousand tonnes, Limestone production stood at 365 lakh tonnes, Phosphorite at 107 thousand tonnes, and Magnesite at 10 thousand tonnes.

Among these important minerals, several demonstrated positive growth in August 2023 compared to August 2022. Gold production witnessed a significant increase of 46.8 per cent, followed by Phosphorite at 40.7 per cent , Manganese Ore at 36.9 per cent , Copper Concentrate at 18.9 per cent , Coal at 17.8 per cent , Iron Ore at 14.9 per cent, Limestone at 13.8 per cent , Natural Gas (utilized) at 9.9 per cent, Magnesite at 4.5 per cent, Crude Petroleum at 2.1 per cent , and Chromite at 1.4 per cent.

On the other hand, some essential minerals recorded negative growth during the same period. Bauxite decreased by 1.5 per cent, Zinc Concentrate declined by 4.1 per cent, Lignite production saw a decrease of 5.4 per cent, and Lead Concentrate recorded a significant drop of 15.1 per cent.

These statistics provide insights into the dynamic landscape of India’s mineral production, with certain minerals experiencing substantial growth while others face challenges in their production levels.