New Delhi, Aug 1 : India, which has become the second-largest aluminium producer in the world, saw robust growth in production of key minerals, such as iron ore and limestone, in the first quarter of FY25, after reaching record levels in FY24, the Parliament was informed on Thursday.

As per provisional data provided by the Ministry of Mines, in the non-ferrous metal sector, primary aluminium production in FY 2024-25 (April-June) posted a growth of 1.2 per cent over the corresponding period last year, increasing to 10.43 lakh tonnes in FY25 (April-June) from 10.28 LT in FY 2023-24 (April-June).

The production of iron ore has increased from 72 MMT in FY 2023-24 (April-June) to 79 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-June), showing 9.7 per cent growth.

Limestone production rose from 114 MMT in FY 2023-24 (April-June) to 116 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-June), with 1.8 per cent growth.

The Ministry said that the production of manganese ore jumped by 11 per cent to 1.0 MMT in FY 2024-25 (April-June) from 0.9 MMT over the corresponding period of the previous year.

Production of key minerals in the country has continued to show strong growth, after reaching record production levels in FY 2023-24, said the government.

Iron ore and limestone account for about 80 per cent of the total MCDR mineral production by value. Production of iron ore was 275 million metric tonnes (MMT) and limestone at 450 MMT in FY 2023-24, according to provisional data provided by the Ministry of Mines.

India is the third-largest lime producer and fourth-largest iron ore producer in the world.

"Continued growth in production of iron ore and limestone in the current financial year reflects the robust demand conditions in the user industries -- steel and cement," said the Ministry. Coupled with growth in aluminium, these growth trends point towards continued strong economic activity in user sectors such as energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery.

/IANS