Calcutta, Nov. 22: India’s export of high-grade iron ore has dropped by 23 per cent during the first half of this fiscal.

Steel secretary R.S. Pandey said the overall export of iron ore — both high-grade and low-quality — has dipped by 3 per cent. “It seems that conservation is taking place,” Pandey said on the sidelines of a three-day steel seminar organised by Steel RX and the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

The steel industry and some states such as Bengal have been demanding a curb on export of this precious reserve.