Most exporters have their own mines however, inter purchase between mine owners is also prevalent.

The Goan Iron Ore industry is wholly dependant on exports. Thereby tending to keep a balance between supply and demand so as to avoid excessive inventory.

Goa's insitu iron ore is comparatively of low grades. Most of the ore ranges between 58% to 62% Fe Content. Nowhere else are such ores considered to be marketable. Infact, in other parts of the country such type of ore is treated as rejects. Goan ores, therefore, have to go through an elaborate process of beneficiation / concentration to render them marketable.

Stringent demands have resulted in the Goan Mining Industry to consistently improve on its mining methods keeping abreast of technological advancements, always aiming to better its past performance and committed to ecologically safe mining practices.

Mining operations first begin with the prospecting and exploration of virgin lands. Bore wells are dug and the lithology of the samples is studied. Geologists then interpret the structure of the ore body. In the last few years, various software packages have been used in the preliminary mining activities, such as reserve calculations, plotting, etc.

Open cast mining operations start after systematic planning is done to mine the ore reserve. The topsoil is removed and stacked separately. The overburden, which is stacked separately, is covered with the topsoil and later afforested.

Goan Ore is often used as a product blend to make up for the Silica, Alumina content that may be lacking in ore from other parts of the world.