India's iron ore pellet production increased to 63.7 million tonnes in January-June 2026, up 16 percent year-on-year from 54.7 million tonnes in the corresponding period last year, according to preliminary data from BigMint. The growth, led by Odisha and Maharashtra, was supported by stronger fundamentals across the domestic ferrous value chain. India's iron ore production grew 17 percent year-on-year to 184 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, while crude steel production reached 8 percent to 87 million tonnes in the first half of 2026, ensuring ample availability of raw materials and supporting higher pellet consumption from both blast furnace (BF) and direct reduction iron (DRI) routes.
Despite healthy production growth, industry expansion remained concentrated in a few states and manufacturers. At the same time, muted export demand continued to limit capacity utilization, keeping standalone pellet producers under pressure.
State-wide production
Odisha maintained its position as India's largest pellet producing state, with production rising 16 percent to 21.5 million tonnes in the first half of the year from 18.5 million tons in the corresponding period last year. The increase was supported by higher production at AM/NS and Jindal Steel, as well as better operational performance at smaller pellet plants.
Karnataka remained the second-largest producer, with output increasing 12 percent to 10.3 million tonnes from 9.2 million tonnes. Maharashtra registered
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