India’s copper production has dropped from 843 kilo tonne (KT) in FY18 to 573 KT in FY25, even as demand for the metal has risen at scorching pace due to new uses in sunrise industrise, reports Saikat Neogi.
The country, which turned a net importer of copper in FY19, has since remained heavily import-dependent. In FY25, India shipped $2.3 billion worth of copper and imported $10.7 billion. Saudi Arabia accounted for 24% of the share of India’s copper exports in FY25, followed by China (15.8%) and the US at 17.2%.
The largest imports are from Tanzania (17.8%) followed by Japan (17%) and UAE (10%). India’s share of imports of copper from the US was 2.9%. Domestic refined copper usage has grown from 489 KT in FY19 to 840 KT in FY24, driven by a significant shift towards renewable energy, and incipient demand from the burgeoning electric vehicles industry.