India's metal and ore exports stood at $36.8 billion in 2025, accounting for just 1.8 percent of nearly $2 trillion in global import demand, according to a report by government think tanks NITI Aayog on Thursday, September 17.
The report stated that India has a strong global production position in several metals and ranks second in primary aluminum and steel production, third in iron ore, chromite and zinc, and fifth in production of manganese ore.
The country is broadly self-sufficient in iron ore, zinc, chromite and bauxite, with self-sufficiency levels of 100 percent, 94 percent, 92 percent and 90 percent, respectively.
However, NITI Aayog identified critical gaps in manganese, copper and magnesite, where self-sufficiency is 37percent, 35 percent and 17 percent, respectively.
India's presence in global ore trade remains limited with ore exports worth just $2.03 billion in 2025, against global demand of $371.5 billion, giving it a 0.5 percent share.
Iron ore exports accounted for only 0.2 percent of global demand, while India's share in manganese and copper ores was virtually zero, the report said.
India's steel exports have 39.3 percent exposure to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), compared with 41.8 percent for Turkey and 45.2 percent for the UK.
CBAM readiness is an area requiring attention, alongside high energy, financing and compliance costs. Finally, in its report, NITI Aayog proposes the building of an accredited CBAM verification capacity and strengthening capabilities in advanced materials.
