India's iron ore production jumps by 7.4% in April - August

Freight trains are loaded with iron ore at a railway station at Chitradurga in Karnataka·Reuters

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's iron ore production rose by 7.4% to 116 million metric tonnes in April through August this year, compared with 108 million metric tonnes during the same period last year, the government said on Saturday.

Iron ore accounts for 70% of the total mineral production by value in India, the Mines Ministry said.

"Continued growth in production of iron ore in the current financial year reflects the robust demand conditions in the user industry," the ministry said.

Aluminium production grew by 1.3% to 1.8 million tonnes in April to August from 1.7 million tonnes in the same period in the last fiscal year.

During the same comparative period, refined copper production grew by 5.8% to 202,000 tonnes.

(Reporting by Neha Arora; Editing by David Holmes)