India's largest integrated ferro chrome producer, IMFA, reported a robust operational performance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, with ferro chrome production rising 22% year-on-year to 80,690 tonnes, up from 65,929 tonnes recorded in Q1 FY2026, according to data published by Asian Metal. On a sequential basis, output also grew 18% compared with 68,506 tonnes produced in Q4 FY2026, underscoring the acceleration of the company's production ramp-up. The strong quarterly performance was largely attributed to the successful integration of the Kalignagar ferro chrome plant unit known as KNR-2, which IMFA acquired from Tata Steel.
All four furnaces at the KNR-2 facility remained fully operational throughout the quarter. Ferro chrome sales kept pace with production growth, recording a 19% year-on-year increase to reach 79,268 tonnes, reflecting strong dispatch activity during the period. IMFA noted that approximately 14,000 tonnes of material were dispatched from the newly acquired KNR-2 unit, making a notable contribution to both revenue and profitability.
On the raw materials front, captive chrome ore production surged sharply to 272,555 tonnes in Q1 FY2027, compared with 103,780 tonnes in the same quarter of the previous year, while remaining largely flat on a quarter-on-quarter basis. This significant rise follows the expansion of the company's mining operations, strengthening its backward integration strategy and ensuring a steady ore supply to support its growing ferro chrome business. IMFA has also received regulatory approvals to scale its mining capacity to 1.2 million tonnes per annum, backed by an investment of approximately INR 1,000 crore.
This move is designed to align ore availability with the company's long-term smelting expansion plans. Meanwhile, IMFA's greenfield KNR-1 ferro chrome project is progressing on schedule. The first furnace is expected to commence hot metal tapping in August 2026, with the second furnace following in September 2026.
Upon full commissioning, the project will boost IMFA's installed ferro chrome capacity from 384,000 tonnes per year to 484,000 tonnes per year during FY2027, with a longer-term target of 534,000 tonnes per year. Source: Asian Metal (asianmetal.com), published 6 August 2026.
Source: asianmetal.com