State-owned NMDC Limited reported a record-breaking performance for the fiscal year ending March 2026, achieving its highest-ever annual output of 53.15 million tonnes, a 21% increase year-on-year. This surge was supported by a massive 51% production spike in March alone as the company pushed to meet national infrastructure targets. Despite the record domestic volume, the mismatch between local low-grade output and the high-grade requirements of advanced steel mills continues to drive India's increasing reliance on seaborne procurement for its premium feedstock.

On April 1, Indian iron ore producer NMDC released its iron ore production and sales report for FY2025-2026 (calendar period: April 2025 to March 2026). According to the report, during the fiscal year, NMDC's iron ore production reached 53.15 million mt, up 20.6% YoY (vs. 44.07 million mt in the previous fiscal year). Iron ore sales reached 50.23 million mt, up 13.1% YoY (vs. 44.40 million mt in the previous fiscal year). Among this, in March 2026, iron ore production reached 5.35 million mt and sales reached 5.9 million mt, significantly outperforming March 2025 (production: 3.55 million mt; sales: 4.21 million mt). This was mainly driven by the strong performance of its mining operations in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. Specifically, Chhattisgarh Mines: During FY2025-2026, the mines' cumulative iron ore production reached 37.52 million mt, up 25% YoY; cumulative iron ore sales reached 34.67 million mt, up 12.5% YoY. Karnataka Mines: During FY2025-2026, the mines' cumulative iron ore production reached 15.63 million mt, up 11.2% YoY; cumulative iron ore sales reached 15.56 million mt, up 14.5% YoY. Overall, the marked YoY growth in iron ore production and sales was mainly because NMDC continued to improve mine operating efficiency and optimize mining activities during the period, thereby ensuring stronger iron ore supply to meet demand in and outside China.

On 1 April, the Indian iron ore miner NMDC officially published its production and sales performance report for the 2025-2026 The report demonstrates that full-year iron ore production reached 53.15 million tonnes, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.6 per cent and a substantial uplift from the 44.07 million tonnes recorded in the previous financial year. Over the same period, total iron ore sales volumes amounted to 50.23 million tonnes, marking a 13.1 per cent expansion compared to the 44.40 million tonnes registered in the prior year. This enhanced operational performance is primarily attributed to the steady growth and robust execution across the company's mining assets located in the states of Chhattisgarh and Karnataka.

India will engage with Argentina, Indonesia, and Oman next month to secure supplies of critical steelmaking raw materials. Discussions will occur during a major international steel summit in India. The focus includes coking coal, iron ore, lithium, and ferronickel. Indonesia, possessing the world's largest nickel reserves, is targeted as a key supplier of ferronickel for stainless steel. Meanwhile, Oman provides iron ore, and Argentina is a target for lithium and other critical minerals to support state-run NMDC Limited. This initiative aligns with India's strategy to ensure steady raw material supplies to scale up domestic steel production and advance its clean energy transition.

State-run NMDC Limited announced on March 13, 2026, that it has reached a historic production milestone of 50 million tonnes (mt) of iron ore in the current financial year. This is the first time an Indian miner has crossed this threshold. The company is currently optimizing mechanized mines in Chhattisgarh and Karnataka to support India’s goal of 300 million tonnes of steel capacity by 2030.

[SMM Steel] State-run miner NMDC Limited will exceed 50 million mt of iron ore production in FY 2025-26, the first company in India to reach this annual milestone. This surpasses the previous record of 45.2 million mt (FY24), supporting India's strategic goal of expanding steelmaking capacity to 300 million mt by 2030.