Answer: 1st
Notes: India has been the largest producer of sponge iron (direct reduced iron, DRI) since 2003. In 2024, India produced 54.8 million tonnes of DRI, which is 38.04% of the global output of 144.1 million tonnes. Most production uses coal-based technology instead of the gas-based process. The majority of plants are situated in states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.
