India’s Aluminium and Copper Production See Growth Amid Import Concerns

India's primary aluminium production saw a marginal increase of 0.9% to 3.836 million tonnes between April 2024 and February 2025, according to provisional data from the Ministry of Mines. During the same period, refined copper production grew by 7.1% to 497,000 tonnes. India ranks as the world's second-largest aluminium producer, is among the top 10 producers of refined copper, and is the fourth-largest iron ore producer.

Iron ore production, which accounts for 70% of the total value of major mineral production, increased to 263 million tonnes, a 4.4% increase demonstrating continued strong activity in user sectors such as energy, infrastructure, construction, automotive, and machinery. Manganese ore and bauxite production also saw increases of 12.8% and 3.6%, respectively.

Despite its production capabilities, India has become the world's largest importer of aluminium scrap, a trend that the Aluminium Association of India (AAI) says hampers the growth of the domestic industry. The AAI has been advocating for higher import duties and anti-dumping protections to support the sector's long-term growth, including a proposed increase in import duties on primary and downstream products to 10%. The industry body is calling for higher import duties to protect domestic aluminium producers and attract investment, aiming to boost India's self-sufficiency.

Other countries, such as the U.S. and China, have implemented measures to protect their aluminium industries, including tariffs and restrictions on scrap imports. India is now following suit with anti-dumping duties to support domestic producers.