India's mineral production rises 9.8% in December 2022

India's mineral production rose by 9.8 per cent in December 2022, over the same month a year-ago, according to the mines ministry.

The index of mineral production of the mining and quarrying sector for the month of December, 2022 stood at 107.4, 9.8 per cent higher as compared to December, 2021, as per the provisional figures of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM).

The cumulative growth for the April-December period this fiscal over the corresponding period of the previous financial year was 5.4 per cent, the mines ministry said in a statement.

The production level of important minerals in December were -- coal 833 lakh tonnes, lignite 35 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilised) 2,888 million cu. m, petroleum (crude) 25 lakh tonnes and bauxite 2,272 thousand tonnes.

Minerals like gold, phosphorite, iron ore, limestone, manganese ore, and coal showed positive growth.

"Other important minerals showing negative growth include: petroleum (-1.2 per cent), bauxite (-9 per cent). lignite(-10.7 per cent), chromite (-11.5 per cent), magnesite (-22.5 per cent) and diamond (-38.6 per cent)," the statement said.