Hutti Gold Mines: India’s Only Operational Primary Gold Mine

Hutti Gold Mines

Context

India’s only operational primary gold mine, Hutti Gold Mines, reported a significant increase in revenue in 2025–26 due to rising gold prices in the global market.

About Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited (HGML)

  1. Established in 1947, Hutti Gold Mines Company Limited (HGML) is a Government of Karnataka enterprise headquartered in Bengaluru.
  2. It is engaged in the exploration, development and extraction of gold deposits in Karnataka and remains India’s only operational producer of primary gold.
  3. The company processes ore from the Hutti underground unit, the Uti opencast unit and the Heera-Buddinni exploratory underground project.
  4. The Hutti mining region is regarded as one of the world’s oldest known metal mining sites, with evidence dating back to the pre-Ashokan period.
  5. During 2025–26, HGML produced around 1,691.57 kg of gold and nearly 145.76 kg of silver as a by-product of ore beneficiation.
  6. Despite being the country’s only primary gold producer, its output contributes less than 1% of India’s annual gold demand, estimated at over 700 tonnes.