A process for production of a ferrochrome alloy from a chromite ore or a chromite concentrate, comprising: (a) mixing the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate with a carbonaceous reductant and calcium chloride to produce a feed material, wherein carbonaceous reductant with particle size fraction passing 100 Tyler mesh is used, wherein the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate is in powder form, wherein the calcium chloride is in the form of anhydrous, hydrated, or a combination thereof and in fine ground powder form, wherein particle size of the chromite ore or chromite concentrate is less than 48 Tyler mesh, wherein the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate is mixed with no less than a stoichiometric amount of the carbonaceous reductant, wherein the total mass of the calcium chloride is in the range of 10-35 wt% of the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate; (b) drying said feed material at a temperature of 150-300 °C to remove moisture; (c) feeding the dried feed material into a reaction vessel at elevated temperatures in the range of 1200 °C to 1400 °C for direct reduction of the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate in the dried feed material to produce a product mixture comprising an off-gas which comprises carbon monoxide and a solid product; and (d) processing the product mixture to separate the ferrochrome alloy from residual gangue and spinel, wherein the stoichiometric amount of the carbonaceous reductant is the amount of carbon in the carbonaceous reductant required to complete reduction of chromium and iron oxides from the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate to form carbon monoxide, with extra carbon required to form alloy in its carbide form. (a) mixing the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate with a carbonaceous reductant and calcium chloride to produce a feed material, wherein carbonaceous reductant with particle size fraction passing 100 Tyler mesh is used, wherein the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate is in powder form, wherein the calcium chloride is in the form of anhydrous, hydrated, or a combination thereof and in fine ground powder form, wherein particle size of the chromite ore or chromite concentrate is less than 48 Tyler mesh, wherein the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate is mixed with no less than a stoichiometric amount of the carbonaceous reductant, wherein the total mass of the calcium chloride is in the range of 10-35 wt% of the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate; (b) drying said feed material at a temperature of 150-300 °C to remove moisture; (c) feeding the dried feed material into a reaction vessel at elevated temperatures in the range of 1200 °C to 1400 °C for direct reduction of the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate in the dried feed material to produce a product mixture comprising an off-gas which comprises carbon monoxide and a solid product; and (d) processing the product mixture to separate the ferrochrome alloy from residual gangue and spinel, wherein the stoichiometric amount of the carbonaceous reductant is the amount of carbon in the carbonaceous reductant required to complete reduction of chromium and iron oxides from the chromite ore or the chromite concentrate to form carbon monoxide, with extra carbon required to form alloy in its carbide form. <EOS>