India’s bauxite exports today look very different from where they stood just a few years ago. This change in picture is due to higher production at home and a gradual easing of import dependence. In 2023, exports over the nine-month period (January to September) totalled 60.968 thousand tonnes, worth USD 0.79 million. Volumes were small, and overseas shipments were not a priority. A year later, that balance had shifted. Exports in January–September 2024 rose to 241.771 thousand tonnes, with value climbing to USD 5.76 million. That worked out to a 296.6 per cent increase in volume and a 629.1 per cent rise in value year on year.
By 2025, the move was even more visible. Ministry of Commerce and Industry data shows exports of 405.232 thousand tonnes between January and September, generating USD 13.34 million. Compared with 2024, volumes were higher by 67.6 per cent, while export earnings rose 131.6 per cent. The rise came alongside higher domestic output and the early impact of new and planned mining capacity.
To know more about the global bauxite industry, read “A Comprehensive Analysis of Bauxite Residue - Red Mud”
More production, less need to import
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