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Iron Ore
The government on Tuesday announced the amendment of rules to revise the pricing norms for low-grade iron ore, a move aimed at curbing wastage and enhancing utilisation of such reserves to ensure a steady supply to the steel industry. The move is expected to bring low-grade resources into viable use, addressing depletion of high-grade deposits and promoting mineral conservation through scientific mining practices. "The Ministry of Mines has notified the Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydro Carbons Energy Minerals) Concession (Third Amendment) Rules, 2026 on 10th April, 2026, providing the methodology for publication of average sale price (ASP) of Haematite Iron Ore below the threshold value, including for Banded Haematite Quartzite (BHQ) and Banded Haematite Jasper (BHJ)," an official statement said. The amendment provides a framework for pricing iron ore with iron (Fe) content below the threshold level of 45 per cent, including Banded Haematite Quartzite (BHQ) and Banded Haematite
State-owned NMDC has increased the prices of iron ore by up to 11.1 per cent, according to a regulatory filing. The company, which is the country's largest iron ore producer, has increased the prices with effect from April 5, 2026. As per the regulatory filing, the prices of Baila Lump -- high-grade (65.5 per cent Fe) iron ore lump produced by the company from the Bailadila mines in Chhattisgarh, have been increased by 10.4 per cent. While prices of Baila Fines -- high-grade iron ore product (64 per cent Fe) sized below 10 mm sourced from the Bailadila sector mines in Chhattisgarh, the prices have been hiked up by 11.1 per cent. In a filing to the BSE, NMDC said that "the prices of iron Ore w.e.f. 5th April 2026 has been fixed as under: Baila Lump (65.5 per cent, 10-40 mm) -- Rs 5,300/- per ton. Baila Fines (64 per cent, -10 mm) Rs 4,500/- per ton." The revised prices are on a free-on-rail (FOR) basis and exclude statutory levies such as royalty, District Mineral Foundation (DMF)
In a major boost to Goa's economy, the state government has received Rs 252.83 crore in upfront payments from the auction of 12 iron ore blocks, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has said. Sawant, while presenting the state budget 2026-27, said that five of the auctioned blocks at Bicholim, Shirgao-Mayem, Sirigao, Advalpal-Thivim and Kudnem-Corlim have already become operational. The remaining seven blocks are in the process of obtaining environmental clearances and other statutory permissions, he said. He informed that the government received Rs 252.83 crore in upfront payments from the auction of these iron ore blocks. The chief minister announced that a total provision of Rs 26 crore has been made for the mines department in the budget. "My government is also in the process of initiating the fourth Notice Inviting Tender (NIT) to auction more blocks and the second phase of e-auction for mining dumps," he told the House. Sawant also announced the continuation of the government schem
State-owned NMDC on Thursday reported a 14.64 per cent year-on-year rise in iron ore production and 18.67 per cent growth in sales in December. The miner produced 5.40 million tonnes (MT) of iron ore in December 2025, higher than 4.71 MT in the same month in 2024. Iron ore sales rose to 6.64 MT in the month under review from 3.91 MT in December 2024. NMDC's cumulative production rose to 36.89 MT in April-December FY26 from 30.77 MT in the nine-month period of the preceding FY25. Sales during the period also surged to 34.92 MT from 31.80 MT in April-December 2024-25. NMDC, under the Ministry of Steel, is India's largest iron ore mining company, catering to the country's over 20 per cent need for the key steel making raw material.
The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has urged the Centre not to impose export duty on low-grade iron ore, claiming it would result in an annual revenue loss of more than Rs 800 crore from the existing production alone. Such a move would deal a major blow to Goa's mining sector, destabilise ongoing operations, undermine investor confidence and jeopardise thousands of livelihoods dependent on the industry, the GCCI said in a letter to Union Minister of Mines G Kishan Reddy. Appealing to the Centre to weigh Goa's "unique structural constraints," GCCI urged that the present NIL export duty regime for low-grade ores from Goa and the Konkan region be retained. "Such an approach will support local livelihoods, ensure sector viability, maintain fair trade practices, and avoid destabilising an already fragile industry," the chamber said. The apprehension, it said, stems from deliberations at a high-level stakeholders' meeting held on August 26 to boost iron ore and steel product
President Donald Trump is granting two years of regulatory relief to coal-fired power plants, chemical manufacturers and other polluting industries as he seeks to reverse Biden-era regulations he considers overly burdensome. Trump issued a series of proclamations late Thursday exempting a range of industries that he calls vital to national security. The proclamations cover coal-fired power plants, taconite iron ore processing facilities used to make steel, and chemical manufacturers that help produce semiconductors and medical device sterilisers. The proclamations allow the facilities to comply with Environmental Protection Agency standards that were in place before rules imposed in recent years by President Joe Biden's administration, the White House said. Trump called the Biden-era rules expensive and, in some cases, unattainable. His actions will ensure that "critical industries can continue to operate uninterrupted to support national security without incurring substantial cost
State-owned NMDC on Tuesday said it has slashed prices of iron ore lump and its fines by Rs 600 and Rs 500 per tonne, respectively, with immediate effect. It has fixed the price of lump ore at Rs 5,700 per tonne and fines at Rs 4,850 a tonne, the country's largest iron ore miner said in a regulatory filing. Lump ores or high-grade iron ores contain 65.5 per cent iron content, while fines are inferior-grade ores with 64 per cent or less iron content. In the last price revision announced on June 4, NMDC had fixed the rate of the lump at Rs 6,300 per tonne and that of fines at Rs 5,350 per tonne. The prices effective from July 1 are inclusive of royalty, district mineral fund (DMF), National Mineral Exploration Trust (DMET) and exclude cess, forest permit fee, transit fee, GST, environmental cess and other taxes. According to market research firm BigMint, "The domestic steel market remained under acute pressure, as prices continued on their downward trajectory. Throughout June, the r
Country's iron ore production rose marginally by 0.6 per cent to 53 million metric tonnes (MMT) in the April-May period of the ongoing fiscal. As per provisional data, production of iron ore was 52.7 MMT in the same period of the previous fiscal. The production of manganese ore, bauxite, zinc concentrate and limestone rose in the April-May period of the ongoing fiscal, the mines ministry said in a statement. In the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production in April-May grew by 1.3 per cent to 7.07 lakh tonnes (LT) from 6.98 LT in the year-ago period. During the same period, refined copper production has grown by 43.5 per cent from 0.69 LT to 0.99 LT. India is the second largest aluminium producer, among top ten producers in refined copper, and third largest iron ore producer in the world. Continued growth in production of iron ore in the current financial year reflects the robust demand conditions in the user industry viz. steel. Coupled with growth in aluminium and
State-owned NMDC on Saturday said that it has registered a 17.8 per cent increase in iron ore production at 4.62 million tonnes (MT) in February. The company had produced 3.92 MT of iron ore in the corresponding month of previous fiscal year, NMDC said in a filing to BSE. The company said that the figures are provisional. The iron ore production in the April-February period rose to 40.49 MT over 40.24 MT in the year-ago period, the filing said. The sale of iron ore in February was at 3.98 MT, over 3.99 MT in February last fiscal. Hyderabad-based NMDC, under Ministry of Steel, is the country's largest iron ore mining company. The PSU alone caters around 20 per cent to the country's demand for the key steel-making raw material. Since inception, the company has been involved in the exploration of a wide range of minerals including copper, rock phosphate, limestone, magnesite, diamond, tungsten and beach sands amongst others in some of the most remote corners of the country.
Some workers were suspected to have been trapped under the debris after a coal hopper, a big iron structure, collapsed inside a cement factory at Rajgangpur in Odisha's Sundargarh district on Thursday, police said. The incident occurred in the factory when over a dozen labourers were working near the site, a senior officer said. After getting information, local police rushed to the spot and helped remove the debris. The coal hopper suddenly fell down. We are at the spot now. The debris is being removed with the help of cranes. So far no casualty or injury has been reported. But, we suspect that some workers might have been trapped inside the debris as labourers usually work under the structure, Rajgangpur Police Station inspector-in-charge Manaranjan Pradhan told PTI. Soon after the incident, workers and family members of those who were working at the site gathered outside the plant. The family members of some workers alleged that the labourers were not responding to their ...