Major Minerals In India

Several metallic minerals are discovered in old crystalline stones in the peninsular grassland.
Mahanadi, Damodar, Godavari, and Sone basins contain around 97% depositions of coal.
Check here the list of major and minor minerals of India.
• Gujarat, Assam, and Mumbai sedimentary gulfs (seen in the Arabian Sea offshore)
possess petroleum deposits.
• Kaveri and Krishna-Godavari bays constitute some fresh deposits.
• Major minerals in India are those defined in the Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulation) Act 1957.
• Some important minerals in India include Coal, Gold, Tungsten, Lignite, Lead-Zinc, Iron
ore, Uranium, Magnesium, Diamond, etc.
• Central Government has declared a few minerals as minor, for example, chalcedony
pebbles, fuller's earth, bentonite, limestone, lime shell, Kankar, boulder, shingle, brick-
earth, slate, road metal, marble, stone utilized for creating home utensils, sandstone,
quartzite, ordinary earth, and saltpeter.

List of Mineral Resources in India

Metallic and nonmetallic are the two kinds of mineral resources. Metallic resources are the ones
from which any metal can be extracted, like copper, gold, iron, silver, zinc, and aluminum.
Nonmetallic resources include minerals like gypsum, sand, halite, and uranium. Below are a few
prominent minerals in India that are useful for various purposes.
• Uranium
• Mica
• Tungsten
• Magnesium
• Gold
• Feldspar
• Zinc
• Lead
• Iron ore
• Quartz
• Diamond
• Coal

List of Minerals Found in India and Their Uses

India is blessed with many mineral resources due to its mixed geographical structure. There is
an inverse relationship between the quality and quantity of minerals; mostly, good-quality
minerals are less in quantity than low-quality minerals. Other characteristics include:
• Minerals in India are unevenly distributed over distance.
• They are exhaustible over time and take years to develop geologically.
• Minerals found in India cannot be replenished instantly at a time of need. Therefore, the
conservation of major minerals is important.
Ferrous Minerals in India
Ferrous minerals provide a strong base for developing metallurgical industries. India has an
adequate quantity of ferrous minerals both in reserves and production. These include minerals
like Manganese, iron ore, chromite, etc.
Iron Ore:
• The largest iron ore reserve is witnessed in Asia.
• Haematite and Magnetite are India's two main types of ore.
• Iron ore has great demand in the international market due to its exceptional quality.
• Its mines are close to the coal fields in the northeastern plateau area.
• Odisha, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra
Pradesh have nearly 95 percent of total iron ore reserves.
Manganese:
• Manganese serves as a vital raw material for smelting iron ore and is also used for
manufacturing ferroalloys.
• Manganese deposits are located in almost all geological formations. However, it is
mainly associated with the Dharwar system.
• Odisha is the highest producer of Manganese.

Non-Ferrous Minerals in India

Non-ferrous minerals are not iron-based like their ferrous counterparts and are found in
chemical combinations. India has an extremely less quantity of non-ferrous metallic minerals
except Bauxite. Some examples of such minerals include aluminum, tin, copper, lead, nickel,
titanium, zinc, and copper alloys like brass and bronze.
Bauxite:
• The manufacturing of aluminum uses Bauxite ore.
• Bauxite is seen predominantly in tertiary sediments on peninsular hill ridges or the
plateau.
• Odisha is the largest Bauxite producing state.
• Other leading producers are Kalahandi and Sambalpur.
Copper:
• Copper is an integral metal required in the electrical industry for assembling electric
engines, wires, generators, and transformers.
• It can be made into an alloy, drawn into a thin wire, malleable (capable of being shaped
or extended), and integrated with gold to offer stability to jewelry.
• Singhbhum district in Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Alwar, and
Jhunjhunu districts in Rajasthan are the major copper deposits.

Nonmetallic Minerals in India

Nonmetallic minerals contain zero metallic substances found in young folded mountains and
sedimentary rocks. Mica is the most critical nonmetallic mineral produced in India. The other
minerals taken out for local consumption are limestone, dolomite, and phosphate.
Mica:
• Mica is specifically utilized in the electronic and electrical industries.
• It effortlessly gets split into thin, stiff, and flexible sheets.
• Mica in India is formed in Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh,
followed by West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
Energy Mineral Resources in India
Energy resources are conventional sources that are exhaustible. They are mineral fuels
important for generating the power needed by industry, transportation, agriculture, and other
economic sectors. These include
• Petroleum
• Coal
• Natural gas,
• Nuclear energy minerals.

Coal:
• Coal is one of the essential minerals used to generate thermal power and smelting iron
ore.
• It is found in rock series mainly of two geological eras, Gondwana and tertiary deposits.
• Jharia is the biggest coal area, followed by Raniganj.
• The Sone, Godavari, and Mahanadi are additional river valleys associated with coal.

Petroleum:
• Crude petroleum comprises hydrocarbons of liquid and gaseous forms differing in
chemical composition, color, and specific gravity.
• Petroleum is an essential energy source for all inner combustion motors in railways,
automobiles, and aircraft.
• Its numerous by-products, including synthetic rubber, fertilizer, vaseline, lubricants,
synthetic fiber, medicines, wax, soap, and cosmetics, are processed in petrochemical
industries.
• Crude petroleum occurs in sedimentary rocks of the tertiary period.
.
Natural Gas:
• Natural Gas is located with petroleum deposits and is discharged when crude oil is
brought to the surface.
• It can be utilized as a household and industrial fuel.
• Natural gas is a valuable fuel that generates electricity in the power sector for heating
purposes in enterprises.
• It is a raw material for various industries like fertilizer, petrochemical, and chemical.
• Natural Gas is also emerging as the home's desired transport fuel (CNG) and cooking
fuel (PNG).
• The primary gas reserves are discovered in the Mumbai High and allied fields along the
west coast of India.

Distribution of Minerals in India - According to Mineral Belts

In India, minerals are concentrated below three considerable zones, and there may be a few
isolated occasional deposits here and there.

Area Types of Minerals in India found

The Himalayan belt • Copper, lead, zinc, cobalt, tungsten

• Mineral oil resources located in Assam valley
 • Oil resources discovered in offshore areas along the Mumbai
shore.

The North-Western • Copper and zinc.

Region • Gypsum and fuller earth reserves.
• The raw materials used in the cement industry, like dolomite
and limestone, are found here.
• Dharwar system of rocks is seen around the Aravali peaks.
• Oil and gas reserves discovered in Gujarat.
• Salt reserves are found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
• Construction materials like marble, sandstone, and granite
are found in Rajasthan.

The South-Western • The belt passes along Goa, Karnataka, and the highlands of
Plateau Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• Rich in ferrous and Bauxite metals.
• Manganese, limestone, and high-level iron ore are also
observed.
• The zone is tightly packed with coal resources except for
Neyveli lignite.
• Monazite, thorium resources, and bauxite clay are discovered
in Kerala.
• Iron ore reserves are seen in Goa.

Plateau Region, North- • The region includes Chhotanagpur (Jharkhand), the Odisha
Eastern India Plateau, West Bengal, and sections of Chhattisgarh.
• It is rich in minerals like iron ore, coal, manganese, bauxite,
and mica.