Kamal Ghorui
Hyderabad: State-run miner NMDC Limited on Friday said it has become the first mining company in India to produce 50 million tonnes of iron ore in a single financial year, reaching the milestone just before the close of FY 2025-26.The Hyderabad-based Navratna CPSE under the ministry of steel said the achievement marks a major step in its evolution as the country’s largest iron ore producer and a key supplier to the domestic steel industry.Set up in 1958 to develop India’s iron ore resources, NMDC produced about 10 million tonnes in 1978, growing fivefold to 50 million tonnes in the nearly five decades since then, highlighting decades of expansion and a sharp acceleration in recent years.The PSU said since 2015, its production has risen from around 30 million tonnes to 50 million tonnes, with nearly one-fifth of its current capacity added in the last four years.NMDC chairman and managing director Amitava Mukherjee said the milestone reflected progress under ‘NMDC 2.0’ driven by stronger execution, responsible mining and alignment with national priorities.“What once took decades to build, we have accelerated in just a few years through sharper execution, responsible mining practices, and a clear commitment to national priorities,” he said, adding that the company’s position as India’s largest iron ore producer carries a major responsibility to support the steel ecosystem.With highly mechanised mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, NMDC plays a key role in securing domestic iron ore supplies as India works toward 300 million tonnes of steelmaking capacity by 2030.
