Minerals in India

Minerals in India

Mineral Survey & Research Bodies

• Geological Survey of India (HQ: Kolkata)

• Indian Bureau of Mines (HQ; Nagpur)

• Oil and Natural Gas Commission-ONGC (HQ: Dehradun)

• Mineral Research Corporation Limited-MRCL (HQ: Nagpur)

• National Mineral Development Corporation-NMDC (HQ: Hyderabad)

National Aluminium Company Ltd. and the Mining and Geology Department of different states are conducting surveys, observations, and research on minerals in India.

Key General Statements

• Dharwar region is the richest in metallic minerals

• The top five mineral-producing states of India are Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.

• Non-refined petroleum is found in the sedimentary rocks of the Tertiary Age.

• Systematic oil exploration and production started in India after the establishment of ONGC in 1956.

• The resources of natural gas in India are found in the Cambay Basin, Krishna Godawari Basin, Cauvery (Kaveri) Basin, and Vindhya Basin.

• The largest producer of crude oil and natural gas in India is Gujarat.

Petroleum

Locations

• Assam (Digboi, Naharkatiya, Hugrijan - Moran, Surma river valley)

• Gujarat (Mainly the Gulf of Khambhat

• Ankleshwar, but extended up to Nawagaon

• Kosamba, Olpad, Dholka, Mehsana, Kalol, etc.)

• Maharashtra (Mumbai High region)

Important Points

• In India,  petroleum Oil is mainly found in Sedimentary rocks. Natural Gas is also found in Hugrijan-Moran.

• Digboi is the oldest oil region in India.

• Vasudhara is the name of the first Oil well in Ankleshwar (1960).

• Mumbai High is 176 km from the Mumbai coast.

• From here, the mineral oil has been extracted since 1976.

• The ship named Sagar Samrat was called from Japan to extract the oil from the deep oceanic part of this region.

Moreover, 60% of the total oil produced in the country is extracted from this region. Currently, there are 21 refineries functional in the country, of which 17 are from the public sector, 3 are from the private sector, and 1 JV.

Iron Ore

Locations

• Odisha (Gurumahisani, Sulaipet, Badampahar in Mayurbhanj)

• Singhbhum district of Jharkhand

• Kiruburu Mines in Kendujhar and Bonai Mines in Sundargadh district of Odisha

The ore is found in Bailadila of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh; Sandoor Hills at Bellary - Hosepet region and Bababudan Hills and Kudremukh in Chikmagalur district in Karnataka; Cudappah and Nellore districts in Andhra Pradesh.

The Major regions of Magnetite ores are -

• Kudremukh (Karnataka)

• Salem (Tamil Nadu)

• Kozhikode (Kerala)

• Maharashtra and Goa

In 2017-18, Odisha is the leading producer of iron ore, accounting for 102MT of total production, followed by Chhattisgarh (34MT), Karnataka (28 MT), and Jharkhand (21MT).

Important Points

• India has the fourth position in the production of iron ore in the world.

• China, Australia, and Brazil hold First, Second, and Third positions consecutively.

Although India has the largest reserve of iron ore in the world. Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, Goa, and Jharkhand are the top five producers of iron ore in India, respectively.

Manganese

Locations

• Odisha (Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Bolangir, Keonjhar, Kalahandi, Koraput

• Maharashtra (Nagpur, Ratnagiri, Bhandara)

• Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat, Chhindwara)

• Karnataka (Shimoga, Bellari, Chitradurg, Bijapur)

• Andhra Pradesh (Srikakulam, Vishakhapatnam)

• Gujarat (Panchamahal, Baroda)

• Jharkhand (Singhbhum)

• Rajasthan (Banswara).

Important Points

• India has the second-largest reserves of Manganese in the world after Zimbabwe.

•  India holds the fifth position in the world in terms of production of Manganese.

The top reserves of Manganese in India are - Odisha (44%), Karnataka (22%), Madhya Pradesh (12%), Maharashtra (7%), Goa (7%), Andhra Pradesh (4%), Jharkhand (2%).

Coal

Location

• Jharkhand (Dhanbad, Singhbhum, Giridih)

• West Bengal (Raniganj, Asansol)

• Chhattisgarh (Raigarh)

• Odisha (Deshgarh, Talcher)

• Assam (Makum, Lakhimpur)

• Maharashtra (Chanda/Chandrapur, Nagpur)

• Telangana (Singareni)

• Meghalaya

• Jammu & Kashmir

• Nagaland

• Arunachal Pradesh (Namchik, Namphuk)

Important Points

• India has the third position in world coal production.

• The first three states in coal production in India are Jharkhand (40%), Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

Anthracite is the best quality of Coal and is also called 'Black Gold', and Lignite is called 'Brown Gold'.

Copper

Location

• Jharkhand (Singhbhum, Hazaribagh)

• Rajasthan (Khetri, Jhunjhunu, Bhilwara, Alwar, and Sirohi)

• Maharashtra (Kolhapur)

• Karnataka (Chital durg, Hasan, Raichur)

• Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat)

• Andhra Pradesh (Agni gundal)

Important Points

• In India, the first three states in copper production are Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand.

• Copper is also extracted along with zinc from the Zawar mines of Rajasthan.

In Rajasthan, the ​​​​​​largest reserve of minerals is copper.

Bauxite

Location

• Odisha

• Jharkhand (Kodarma, Hazaribagh)

• Bihar (Gaya and Munger)

• Maharashtra (Nagpur, Bhandara, and Ratnagiri)

• Rajasthan (Ajmer, Shahpur)

• Andhra Pradesh (Nellore)

Important Points

• India is self-reliant in terms of Bauxite.

• The top producers of Bauxite in India are Odisha (1st place with 42%)

• Gujarat (2nd place) and Jharkhand (3rd place).

Mica

Location

• Andhra Pradesh (Nellore)

• Jharkhand (Palamu)

• Gujarat (Kheda)

• Madhya Pradesh (Katni, Balaghat, Jabalpur)

• Chhattisgarh (Bilaspur)

• Rajasthan

Important Points

• Currently, Andhra Pradesh is the largest producer of Mica in India,  with 72 % of total production, followed by Rajasthan.

Gold

Location

• Karnataka (Kolar, Uti and Hutti Gold Mines, Hira-buddini mines)

• Andhra Pradesh (Ramgiri gold field, Anantapur)

• Telangana (War-rangal)

• Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri, Salem)

• Jharkhand (East Singhbhum)

Important Points

• 99% of the total gold production in India comes from Karnataka itself, followed by Andhra Pradesh.

Diamond

Location

• Madhya Pradesh (Majhgaon / Majhgawan in Panna district, Satna).

Important Points

• The Kohinoor diamond was extracted from the Golconda mine in Andhra Pradesh.

• The diamond found in Madhya Pradesh in veins in the fossilless Vindhya rock of pre-Cambrian age is considered to be the most valuable.

Zinc

Location

• Rajasthan (Udaypur)

• Odisha

• Jammu & Kashmir

Important Points

• Zawar mines, Rajasthan (1st in zinc production), followed by J&K.

Uranium

Location

• Jharkhand (Ranchi, Hazaribagh)

Important Points

• Jharkhand is the largest producer of Uranium in India.

• The most important Uranium mine of India is the Jadugora mines (East Singhbhum).

Magnesite

Location

• Uttarakhand

• Rajasthan

• Tamil Nadu

• Andhra Pradesh

Important Points

• The largest reserve of Magnesite (68%) is in Uttarakhand.

Silver

Location

• Rajasthan (Zawar mines)

• Karnataka (Chitra Durg, Bellari)

• Andhra Pradesh (Kudappa, Guntur)

• Jharkhand (Santhal Pargana, East Singhbhum, Ranchi)

Important Points

• Rajasthan is the largest producer of Silver in India.

Thorium Pyrite

Location

• Kerala

• Rajasthan (Pali, Bhilwara)

Important Points

• India is the largest producer of Thorium, and the largest Thorium reserve of the world is in Kerala.

Chromite

Location

• Jharkhand

• Odisha

Important Points

• Odisha is the largest producer of Chromite

Tungsten

Location

• Rajasthan

• Tamil Nadu

• Karnataka

Important PointsThe 

• The major Tungsten reserve is in Degana, Rajasthan.

Lead

Location

• Jharkhand

• Rajasthan (Zawar)

Important Points

• The largest lead reserves in India are found in Rajasthan.

Lignite

Location

• Tamil Nadu

• Rajasthan

Important Points

• The largest lignite reserves in India are found in Tamil Nadu.

Tin

Location

• Chhattisgarh

Important Points

• Almost total production and reserve of Tin is limited to the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

[Source: Indian Mineral Year Book - 2019, Issued in June 2020, by Indian Bureau of Mines]

Coal Production in India

• The Coal production for FY23 is estimated to increase to 911 million tonnes, about 17% higher compared to the previous year. In April - December 2022, coal production rose by 14% on a YOY basis and was 21% higher than the pre-pandemic level of FY20.

• The coal industry is expected to grow at 6-7% annually to reach a production level of 1 billion tonnes by FY26 and about 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030.

[Source: Economic Survey 2022-2023]

Important Crops and their Producers (World)

Note: Classification of agricultural areas in the world by D. Hytlasy. 

[Source: Statista]

Important Minerals and their Producers (World)

Final Thoughts

India is richly endowed with minerals like petroleum, coal, iron, gold, and bauxite, which form the backbone of its economy. These resources drive energy production, industrial growth, and exports.

Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan are the top mineral-producing states, while regions like Mumbai High and Dharwar are key hubs for oil and metallic ores. Government bodies like GSI, ONGC, NMDC, and NALCO are leading exploration and sustainable mining efforts. India ranks 4th globally in iron ore production and holds massive reserves of coal, manganese, and bauxite.

With coal production projected to hit 1 billion tonnes by FY26, and a focus on cleaner technologies and strategic minerals like uranium and thorium, India’s mineral sector is set for rapid growth and global competitiveness.

In the future, responsible mining and modern technologies will be vital in balancing economic needs with environmental sustainability.