India: SAIL’s iron ore e-auction sales fall 28% m-o-m in Aug’26 on lower Bolani volumes

• Fresh fines sales fall sharply at Bolani
• Kalta sales decline on lower dump fines bookings

Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL) sold 468,090 tonnes (t) of iron ore through e-auctions in August 2026, against 660,000 t offered, according to BigMint data. Auction sales declined 28% m-o-m from 651,250 t sold out of 754,790 t offered in July. The decline was primarily attributed to lower sales at Bolani, along with reduced auction volumes at Barsua and Kalta.

Bolani drives decline m-o-m

Bolani remained the largest contributor to SAIL’s auction sales; however, volumes sold declined to 336,000 t (408,000 t offered) in August from 480,000 t in July. The fall was mainly due to a sharp reduction in fresh fines and dump fines availability/sales. Fresh fines sales declined to 92,000 t from 272,000 t, while dump fines sales fell to around 40,000 t from 100,000 t. Although CLO sales increased to 204,000 t from 108,000 t, the rise was insufficient to offset the decline in fines sales.

The lower sales were also linked to the reduced quantity offered at Bolani, with overall auction offerings falling compared with July. The shift in product mix towards CLO, along with lower availability of fresh and dump fines, consequently pulled down total auction bookings.

Barsua sales moderate

Barsua sold 104,020 t in August against 164,020 t offered, compared with 120,000 t sold out of 132,060 t offered in July. The decline was mainly due to lower CLO sales and the absence of fresh fines during the month. CLO sales fell to 32,000 t from 40,000 t, while tailings sales increased to 72,020 t from 60,000 t. Despite the higher tailings sales, the absence of fresh fines and lower CLO volumes weighed on overall bookings.

Kalta sales decline

Kalta recorded sales of 28,070 t (87,980 t offered) in August, down from 51,250 t of dump fines sold in July. The decline reflects lower auctioned and booked dump-fine volumes, further contributing to the overall reduction in SAIL’s auction sales during the month.

Outlook

SAIL’s auction sales are expected to remain dependent on the availability and product mix of material offered by individual mines. Any increase in fresh fines and lump ore offerings could support auction volumes, while continued reliance on lower-demand dump fines or limited fresh-fine availability may keep overall sales subdued.