The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for December 2021 was at 120.3, up 2. 6 per cent y-o-y.
As per the provisional statistics of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM), the cumulative growth for the period from April to December of this fiscal was up 16 per cent y-o-y, as per a government statement.
Among the important minerals, production of magnesite, went up by 73.2 per cent y-o-y to 11,000 tonnes while gold saw a 71 per cent jump in production to 106 kg.
Other minerals which witnessed increased production include bauxite (27.1 per cent), lignite (21.4 per cent), natural gas (utilized) (19.5 per cent), coal (5.3 per cent) and chromite (5.3 per cent).
Production declined in case of petroleum (crude) (1.8 per y-o-y to 25,00,000 tonnes), zinc concentrate (4.3 per cent y-o-y to 126,000 tonnes), iron ore (6.2 per cent to 209 lakh tonnes), manganese ore (7.3 per cent to 273,000 tonnes), limestone (7.5 per cent to 309 lakh tonnes).
Some of the minerals that witnessed negative growth were copper concentrates (10.3 per cent y-o-y to 10,000 tonnes), lead (17.4 per cent to 28,000 tonnes), phosphorite (20.4 per cent y-o-y to 110,000 tonnes) and diamond (97.6 per cent y-o-y to 70 carat).