In mining and minerals industries, whenever water supplies are restricted and also where wet processing leads to problems in handling and dewatering of the products and tailings, dry beneficiation is preferred. Moreover, the decrease in available high-grade iron ores has generated a need to develop alternative beneficiation processes for processing low-grade iron ores. Current approaches have limitations in the reduction of impurities because of finely disseminated mineralogical assemblages largely dominated by goethite. The need for complete utilisation of low-grade reserves coupled with increasing market pressure for improved product quality necessitates a re-examination of existing process flow sheets through an evaluation of alternative or supplemental processing routes. In this paper, it is proposed this may be achieved through implementing novel dry beneficiation applications.A diagnostic circuit simulation study involving the development and assessment of selected dry processing technologies for producing an improved product from sub-economic grade, goethite rich iron ores was conducted. The dry processing technology options examined included: 1. A continuous classification using a circulating air classifier with optimised parameters; 2. Thermal reduction roasting (advanced microwave-assisted magnetising roasting) of the air classifier coarse product; 3. Dry magnetic separation of the roast product using Induced Roll Magnetic Separator (IRMS)The dry process technologies combined produced a high-grade magnetic product of 62.00% Fe from a raw feed containing 54.55% Fe and yielded 71.56% by mass with around 82% iron units. This was achieved by considering 16.11% of the mass as rejects (air classifier fines and IRMS non-magnetics products) which included the main impurity units such as SiO2 (24.13%), Al2O3 (22.68%), TiO2 (23.64%), and P (18.70%).The diagnostic circuit simulation study culminated in the development of a prospective dry processing flowsheet that can produce an improved product from low-grade goethite abundant iron ores. The conceptual process flow sheet presented in this study may become the prelude to a process flow sheet for commercialisation. CITATION:Nunna, V, Hapugoda, S, Gaekwad Eswarappa, S, Raparla, S K, Kumar, R and Nanda, N K, 2019. Dry beneficiation of low-grade goethite-rich iron ore fines by air classification, reduction roasting and magnetic separation, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2019, pp 766785 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).