Unconfirmed reports indicate that India imported 185,113 tonne of iron ore during April-June 3013 and this is 78 per cent lower than 826,372 tonne imported in the year-ago period.
By the end of August, the government would officially release data on iron ore import, reports indicate.
India was once the third-largest exporter of iron ore in the world, exporting about 98 million tonne, or 47 per cent of its total production, in the year ended March 31, 2011.
But in 2012-13, India imported a record 3 million tonne of ore as output from top producing states Karnataka and Odisha declined.
Iron ore output declined in these two states following the ban on mining imposed by the Supreme Court on the backdrop of illegal mining charges.
In 2012-13, India’s ore output declined to about 140 million tonne from 167.3 million tonne in the previous year and 207 million tonne in 2011.
Production has since picked up following steps to clean up the sector of practices such as mining outside allotted areas. Karnataka has opened some of its mines since late last year on the orders of the Supreme Court.
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