Overview of iron ore mining in india vis-a-vis status of production in 2020 AD

Abstract

This paper presents overview of distribution of iron ore reserves in India and other countries along with the trend of production achieved up to 2010, and projected up to 2020 AD. Crude steel production in top ten countries in the world is enumerated. Details of iron ore reserves in the form of Hematite and Magnetite in five zones of India are presented. State wise production of iron ore and export of ore from different states of our country is illustrated. Projected demand of raw materials for the steel industry for the year 2019-20 including iron ore, coking and non-coking coal are also presented. Status of production and reserve availability in top five organizations dealing with iron ore mining ex: NMDC, SAIL,, Sesa Goa are also presented. Growth of major private companies related to iron ore mining in India are also presented with a critical appraisal on the need of further development of iron ore mining industry with modern technologies. Overview of status of steel plants such as RSP, VSP, BKP, JSPL etc are presented. National steel policy 2005 as approved by Govt of India in Sept 2005, projected a demand of 110 mt steel production against 38 mt produced during 2004-05. Expected consumption is about 90 mt for the year 2019-20 as compared to about 36 mt only during 2004-05. Major Emphasis of the policy vis-à-vis critical Input Raw Materials: Iron Ore and Coking Coal. A very big gap in the expected demand by 2020 AD and the present rate of production from the existing mines with the available level of technology emphasizes the urgent need of innovative mining technologies to be implemented with due regards to safety, conservation and environment friendly approaches encompassing meticulous corporate social responsibility. Active participation from domestic sectors should be highly encouraged to contribute to the vision of 2020 AD for the iron ore mining industry.