India's iron ore production rises by 20% y-o-y in Jan-Aug'26; merchant miners continue to drive growth

Iron ore production growth outpaces rise in crude steel, sponge iron output. Merchant production rises 28% compared with 7% increase in captive output. Maharashtra records sharpest increase, followed by Chhattisgarh, Odisha

India's iron ore production increased 19% y-o-y to 230 million tonnes (mnt) in January-August 2026 (8MCY'26), according to provisional data with BigMint. Production growth was concentrated in Odisha (+13%), Chhattisgarh (+25%), and Maharashtra (+179%). The increase was largely driven by higher output from NMDC, Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), and