India Iron Ore Output Seen at 9-Year High Before Leases Expire
- Output could rise to as much as 210m tons, industry group says
- Logistical, regulatory woes have pushed mills to import more
Cranes unload iron ore from a ship in Krishnapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Photographer: Dhiraj Singh/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
India is on track to produce the most iron ore in nine years as independent miners extract more of the steel-making raw material before the expiry of their leases next year.
The country is set to produce as much as 210 million metric tons in the financial year ending March 31, R.K. Sharma, secretary general at the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, said in a phone interview from New Delhi. That would make it the highest output since 2009-10, when it produced 219 million tons.