Though the mining crisis in India led to an unprecedented decline in iron ore exports in 2012-13, following a regulatory crackdown, the official statistical department had merely glossed over this.
Figures compiled by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics, under the commerce ministry, showed India’s iron ore exports jumped a whopping 157 per cent to 121 million tonnes in 2012-13, compared with 47 million tonnes a year ago.
The same data showed the export value for iron ore declined to about $1.6 billion from about $4.6 billion through the same period.
These figures vary significantly from data released by other entities.
According to the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries, outbound shipments of iron ore declined from 61.74 million tonnes in 2011-12 to 18.37 million tonnes in 2012-13.
Latest provisional data from the mines ministry showed iron ore exports during the April-December 2012 period stood at 14.2 million tonnes.
“We have released the principal commodity wise figures for March 2013, as well as April-March 2012-13.
“The item level data for March 2013 is currently under validation,”