Major Minerals of India

In India, the peninsular plateau's old crystalline rocks contain the majority of the country's metallic minerals. The Damodar, Sone, Mahanadi, and Godavari basins contain more than 97% of all known coal deposits. The offshore Arabian Sea sedimentary basins of Assam, Gujarat, and Mumbai High contain petroleum deposits. The Krishna-Godavari and Kaveri basins have both seen the discovery of fresh reserves. Minerals are concentrated in three sizable regions in India. There could be a few isolated deposits here and there from time to time.

Features of Major Minerals of India

Here are the descriptions of major minerals of India −

Iron Ore

There are approximately 1,23,17,275 thousand tonnes of haematite and 53,95,214 thousand tonnes of magnetite in the country's total in situ iron ore reserves. Very high-grade ore resources are scarce and restricted mostly to the Chhattisgarh province of Bailadila, as well as to a lesser extent to the Bellary-Hospet region of Karnataka, the Barajamda sector of Jharkhand, and the Orissa province of Barajamda.

Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan are among the states that have haematite resources. Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Kerala, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu are among the states with magnetite resources.

Bauxite Ore (Aluminum)

There are 3.076 million tonnes of reserves currently available. This resource has a metallurgical grade of about 84%. The estimated 5, 99,780 tonnes of bauxite resources are conditional. Additionally, 90 million tonnes are estimated to be the potential resource base. The main states with bauxite deposits include Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh. The East Coast Bauxite deposits in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh contain the majority of the reserves.

Coal

In India, coal is the most significant and plentiful fossil fuel. It supplies 55% of the nation's energy requirements. The foundation of the nation's industrial history was its own coal. In the previous four decades, India's commercial primary energy consumption has increased by nearly 700%. For the upcoming century and beyond, Indian coal offers a distinct, environmentally favourable fuel supply to the domestic energy sector. The majority of the country's hard coal deposits, which are dispersed throughout 27 major coalfields, are located in the east and south-central regions.The world's lignite deposits are estimated to be 36 billion tonnes, 90% of which are found in Tamil Nadu, a state in the south.

Lead-Zinc

Lead-Zinc Resources can be found in the following states: Rajasthan, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, and Sikkim. 231 million tonnes of lead and zinc ore total in situ reserves (all grades), with 5.1 million tonnes of lead and 17.02 million tonnes of zinc metal.

Copper

The country has 712.5 million tonnes of in situ copper ore deposits, or 9.4 million tonnes of metal content. The conditional resources of copper in all of India total 722 million tonnes (3.15 million tonnes of copper metal), while the prospective resources of copper ore total 0.6 million tonnes. In Jharkhand's Singhbhum district, Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district, Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts, and Jharkhand's Balaghat district, there are significant and significant copper ore resources. Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, and West Bengal are other states with minor copper ore resources.

Gypsum

There are 383 million tonnes of in-situ gypsum reserves. Two million of these are of the surgical/plaster grade. thirteen million tonnes of soil reclamation grade, 92 million tonnes of fertilizer/pottery grade, 76 million tonnes of cement/paint grade, and the remaining unclassified. Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu are the only states where gypsum is produced. Gypsum is mostly produced in Rajasthan, followed by Jammu and Kashmir.

Chromite

Total in situ chromite deposits are expected to be 114 million tonnes. An estimated 187 million tonnes of geological resources total, of which 114 million tonnes are in situ reserves and 73 million tonnes are conditional resources. The Cuttack district in Orissa accounts for the biggest portion (about 96%) of the total geological resources. Orissa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Manipur all have significant economic deposits. The reserves of chromite for refractory purposes, however, are quite little.

Limestone

The estimated total in situ reserves of all types and grades of limestone are 1, 69,941 million tonnes. 3,713 million tonnes have been calculated to represent the overall conditional reserves. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat account for the lion's share of its production, along with Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. The remainder is sourced from Meghalaya, Assam, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Ker, and Jammu and Kashmir.

Manganese

There are 406 million tonnes of in situ manganese ore resources altogether, of which 104 million tonnes are proved, 135 million tonnes are probable, and 167 million tonnes are potential. Karnataka has the largest reserves, followed by Goa, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and West Bengal have trace amounts of manganese.

Silver

India is not a significant silver producer. Imports account for the majority of India's silver consumption. It is typically found in lead, zinc, copper, and gold ores and is extracted as an electrolytic byproduct or through chemical processes. According to states, Rajasthan has 87% of the world's silver ore reserves, followed by Jharkhand (5%), Andhra Pradesh (4%), and Karnataka (2%).

Except for the tiny and distinct deposits in Rajasthan, there are no native silver deposits in India. The biggest silver producer in the nation is the Zawar mines in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

Nickel

Significant deposits of nickeliferous limonite can be found in the Sukinda valley in the Jajapur district of Odisha. Here, it appears as oxide. In the east Sighbhum district of Jharkhand, nickel also exists as copper mineralization in the form of sulphides. Additionally, it was found beside uranium deposits in Jaduguda, Jharkhand. Rajasthan, Kerala, and Karnataka all contain sizable amounts of nickel.

Diamond

There are three different types of geological settings where diamond deposits can be found, including kimberlite pipes, conglomerate beds, and alluvial gravels. The Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh, the Munimadugu-Banganapalle conglomerate in Kurnool district, the Wajrakarur Kimberlite pipe in Anantapur district, and the gravels of the Krishna River basin in Andhra Pradesh are the main diamond-bearing regions in India. Only the Panna belt and Krishna Gravels in Andhra Pradesh have reserves been evaluated. In situ reserves are estimated to be 26, 43,824 carats in total. 19, 36,512 carats of conditional resources are available. Recently, the Karnataka districts of Raichur and Gulbarga discovered additional kimberlite fields.

Gold

The Kolar Gold Fields in the Kolar district, the Hutti Gold Field in the Raichur district (both in Karnataka), and the Ramgiri Gold Field in the Anantpur district (Andhra Pradesh) are the three most significant gold fields in the nation. The estimated 22.4 million tonnes of gold ore in situ reserves contain 116.50 tonnes of metal.

List of Major Minerals of India

Here is the list of major minerals of India −

Mineral Resources in India	Mining State(s)
Iron ore	Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa
Bauxite	Odisha, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra
Coal	Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana
Lead	Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar
Zinc	Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat
Copper	Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Singhbhum district of Jharkhand
Gypsum	Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat
Chromite	Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu
Limestone	Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu
Manganese	Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh
Silver	Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat
Nickel	Odisha, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh
Diamond	Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha
Gold	Karnataka, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu

Conclusion

Iron ore, coal, bauxite, lead-zinc, copper, gypsum, chromite, limestone, manganese, silver, nickel, diamond, and gold are just a few of the many minerals found in India. The distribution of these minerals throughout numerous states supports the nation's industrial advancement and economic expansion. The discovery and sustainable use of these mineral resources are essential for India's development and prosperity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which state in India has the largest reserves of iron ore?

Odisha has the largest reserves of iron ore in India.

Which are the major coal-producing states in India?

Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana are the major coal-producing states in India.

Where are the significant diamond deposits found in India?

The significant diamond-bearing regions in India include the Panna belt in Madhya Pradesh, the Munimadugu-Banganapalle conglomerate in Kurnool district, and the Krishna River basin in Andhra Pradesh.

Which state is known for its gold fields in India?

Karnataka, particularly the Kolar Gold Fields, is known for its gold reserves in India.

What are the main minerals found in Rajasthan?

Rajasthan is rich in minerals such as lead, zinc, silver, copper, and gypsum.