However, on the brighter side iron ore production has seen an 18 per cent growth, while the total growth in mineral production has been pegged at 12 per cent, Minister of Steel and Mines Narendra Singh Tomar said during Question Hour.
He said the government wanted the exports to grow but at the same time the domestic industry should also get raw material.
He said there should be a balance on exports and demands of domestic industry.
In his written response, Tomar said the Geological Survey on India upgrades knowledge and skills of its geoscientists as well as its equipment for field survey and laboratories as per global practice.
PTI