[SMM Flash] Kali and JX Agree Funding for Tantalum-Prospective Exploration​

In September, the overall domestic supply of silicon‑manganese alloy rose compared with August, with national output moving higher month‑on‑month. Nevertheless, operating rates across producing regions did not expand in lockstep. A pattern took shape featuring output growth in northern producing areas, mixed performance in southern regions, and general moderate output contraction in minor producing zones, further highlighting regional divergence in production.

A-3 Minerals & Metal Exports Private Limited is planning to expand the throughput capacity of its chrome ore beneficiation unit at Bayree village in Jajpur district, Odisha, from 18,500 tonnes per annum to 160,000 tonnes per annum, according to a project filing tracked by India Projects News. The proposed expansion, estimated at approximately Rs. 5 crore, is currently at the conceptual and planning stage and is under consideration for environmental approval. Jajpur district sits within Odisha's Sukinda Valley belt, the region hosting the bulk of India's chromite reserves and the operational base for major domestic ferrochrome producers including Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys (IMFA). The filing did not disclose a project timeline, the specific beneficiation process to be used, or downstream customers for the additional processed ore, and no further detail on A-3 Minerals' existing operations or ownership structure was available in the source filing.

The silicon‑manganese main contract staged a rally‑then‑pullback performance across August‑September. August saw an overall oscillating uptrend, followed by a sharp pullback in September, marking a notable shift in market sentiment and position‑holding structure.