According to the Centre for Techno-Economic Mineral Policy Options (C-Tempo), which is part of India's Ministry of Mines, India's annual iron ore pellet output capacity will increase from 28.40 million mt in 2010 to 75 million mt in 2015.
With India domestic steel capacity expected to rise from the current 80 million mt to 150 million mt by 2016-2017, the volume of iron ore pellets used in blast furnace steelmaking will also rise.
At present, lump ore accounts for 47 percent of the iron ore used by the Indian steel industry.