See, we don’t even need to explain why iron and steel are so important for the world we live in today. But doesn’t that make you go like: where does all this steel and iron come from? Well, the answer is: that we dig it out of the ground, but not as steel or iron. Nah, instead, we dig out iron ore, which is later processed and mixed with carbon to make steel. That’s how it works. And thankfully, in India, there are a lot of iron ore mines that produce a huge amount of iron ore every single year. Today though, we are going to take a look at five of those because yes, this post is all about the top 5 major iron ore mines in India as of 2024. That’s what! So, let’s get to the list, shall we?
1. Kirandul Complex – Chhattisgarh
The Kirandul Complex in the Bailadila Iron Ore Mines is at the top of our list, but why’s that exactly? Well, to begin with, you see, the Kirandul Complex is one of the major as well as biggest mines in the country as of 2024. That’s why! This mine, which is in the mineral-rich state of Chhattisgarh and is run by the huge NMDC, produced an amazing 15.09 million tonnes of iron ore in 2024, just so you know. And why even is this mine so successful? Well, one reason which we are pretty certain of, is the use of modern technology here.
2. Bacheli Complex – Chhattisgarh
Coming in at number two is, the Bacheli Complex is right next to Kirandul so no wonder why we had to put it right after that. Again, this one is also operated and handled by the NMDC, and they’re literally pushing the limits with mining, so much so that back in 2023, the production amount was a huge 14.43 million tonnes. Again, just like the Kirandul Complex, NMDC has also set up really impressive pieces of technology and machinery, so no wonder why the production amount is so high every year. Though, recently we got to know through the headlines that in 2024, operations were temporarily stopped because of problems with compliance.
3. Balda Block Iron Mine – Odisha
If we just consider the iron ore production amount, well, Balda Block Iron Mine all the way from Odisha would have topped the list back in the year 2020 with 15.5 million tonnes of iron ore production. But as of 2023, it was reduced to just 10.22 MTPA, and that’s mainly because of some environmental challenges that were a huge issue in the overall mining process. Operated and run by Serajuddin & Co., the company itself is putting a lot of emphasis on improving the overall infrastructure, technology, and things like that to boost production even more, you know?
4. Joda East Iron Mine – Odisha
Alright, let’s take another detour of Odisha once again, and this time, we are here to take a good look at the Joda East Iron Mine. And just so you know, this mine is actually a super important part of Tata’s resource chain in the country. Talking about the production thing, well, that was pretty substantial back in 2023 because this mine alone produced around 10.04 million tonnes. Though this mine will completely change because of the Wenco Mine Fleet Management System in 2024, and with that, we can surely hope for something good in the future.
5. Noamundi Iron Ore Mine – Jharkhand
On to the last, but not the least mine of this list, and yes, we had to include the Noamundi Iron Ore Mine of Jharkhand, or else, it would not have been a complete list. And you’ll be kinda surprised to know that this mine is more than a century old. And who do you think this mine was set up by? Yes, it was Tata Steel. Sure, the production amount of the recent year, in 2023 was just 8.25 million (not as much as other mines on the list) but still, with improvements like the 3 MW solar plant cut CO2 emissions, this sure is a super important mine for the country.
Conclusion
There you have it. So next time, whenever you see some iron or steel-made thing, like some structure or anything like that, it could be that the iron ore which that thing is made out of actually came from any of these mines.
