Minerals of India

54 mines and fields: iron, coal, bauxite, manganese, copper, gold, mica, uranium, oil — with every UPSC PYQ year.

On this map (54)

Barbil–Koira valley — iron ore, Keonjhar–Sundargarh · Odisha — Iron ore · hematite. Bonai–Keonjhar belt of hematite; Odisha now mines more than half of India’s iron ore
Gorumahisani — iron ore, Mayurbhanj · Odisha — Iron ore · hematite. Gorumahisani–Badampahar hills fed the Tata steel plant at Jamshedpur from 1911
Noamundi — iron ore, West Singhbhum · Jharkhand — Iron ore · hematite. Tata Steel’s captive mine; also Gua, Kiriburu, Meghahatuburu (SAIL)
Bailadila — iron ore, Dantewada · Chhattisgarh — Iron ore · high-grade hematite. NMDC’s biggest mines; the hill looks like a bullock’s hump (baila = ox, dila = hump)
Dalli-Rajhara — iron ore, Balod · Chhattisgarh — Iron ore. Feeds Bhilai Steel Plant (SAIL), about 90 km away
Kudremukh–Bababudan — magnetite, Chikkamagaluru · Karnataka — Iron ore · magnetite. Magnetite (black, magnetic, up to ~70% iron) — Karnataka has roughly three-quarters of India’s magnetite
Bellary–Hospet–Sandur — iron ore · Karnataka — Iron ore · hematite. Sandur and Hospet hills; Karnataka is among the top 3 iron-ore states
Goa — iron ore for export · Goa — Iron ore · low-grade. Low-grade ore, mostly exported through Mormugao port
Jharia — coking coal, Dhanbad · Jharkhand — Coal · Gondwana · coking. Damodar valley field; best source of coking coal for steel
Raniganj — India’s first coalfield · West Bengal — Coal · Gondwana. Eastern end of the Damodar valley belt; shared by West Bengal and Jharkhand
Giridih — finest coking coal · Jharkhand — Coal · Gondwana · coking. Known for the best-quality coking coal
North & South Karanpura, Bokaro — coal · Jharkhand — Coal · Gondwana. Karanpura and Bokaro fields lie on the Damodar, west of Jharia
Korba — Gevra opencast mine · Chhattisgarh — Coal · Gondwana (Mahanadi). Mahanadi-basin coal; Korba is the “power capital” of Chhattisgarh
Talcher and Ib valley — coal · Odisha — Coal · Gondwana (Mahanadi). Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL); Odisha overtook Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in output
Singrauli — coal and power, MP–UP border · Madhya Pradesh — Coal · Gondwana (Son). Son valley field shared by MP and UP; many super thermal power stations
Singareni — coal of the Godavari valley · Telangana — Coal · Gondwana (Godavari). Godavari-valley Gondwana coal; mined by SCCL (Kothagudem)
Neyveli — lignite, Cuddalore · Tamil Nadu — Lignite · Tertiary. Brown coal (lignite) mined by NLC India; Tamil Nadu has most of India’s lignite
Panandhro, Kachchh — lignite · Gujarat — Lignite · Tertiary. Gujarat: Panandhro (Kachchh), Bharuch; Rajasthan: Palana, Barsingsar (Bikaner)
Makum, Margherita — Tertiary coal · Assam — Coal · Tertiary. Tertiary coal (15–60 million years) of the North-East: less ash but more sulphur than Gondwana coal
Namchik–Namphuk — Tertiary coal, Changlang · Arunachal Pradesh — Coal · Tertiary. Tertiary coalfield in Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh
Balaghat — manganese · Madhya Pradesh — Manganese · Dharwar. MOIL’s Balaghat mine is one of Asia’s deepest manganese mines
Nagpur–Bhandara — manganese · Maharashtra — Manganese · Dharwar. Nagpur–Bhandara belt continues into Balaghat–Chhindwara (MP)
Sukinda valley — chromite and nickel, Jajpur · Odisha — Chromite + nickel. Odisha has nearly all of India’s chromite, and it is high grade
Khetri–Singhana — copper, Jhunjhunu · Rajasthan — Copper · Aravalli. Khetri Copper Complex (Hindustan Copper) in Jhunjhunu district, on the Aravalli belt
Malanjkhand — copper, Balaghat · Madhya Pradesh — Copper · open-cast. India’s largest open-cast copper mine (Hindustan Copper)
Singhbhum copper belt — Ghatsila, Mosabani · Jharkhand — Copper. Ghatsila smelter and Mosabani, Rakha mines along the Subarnarekha
Panchpatmali, Koraput — bauxite · Odisha — Bauxite · laterite plateau. NALCO’s Panchpatmali mine feeds the Damanjodi refinery
Lohardaga — bauxite on the Pat plateau · Jharkhand — Bauxite. Flat-topped “pat” plateaus of Lohardaga, Gumla, Latehar
Mainpat and the Maikal range — bauxite · Chhattisgarh — Bauxite. Mainpat (Surguja), Bodai–Daldali (Kabirdham); the Maikal–Amarkantak plateau continues into MP
Hutti — India’s working gold mine, Raichur · Karnataka — Gold · Dharwar schist. Hutti Gold Mines Ltd produces most of India’s mined gold
Kolar Gold Fields — closed in 2001 · Karnataka — Gold · among the deepest mines. Among the deepest mines in the world (over 3 km); shut in 2001 as costs rose
Ramagiri — gold, Anantapur · Andhra Pradesh — Gold. Andhra Pradesh is the second gold area (Ramagiri); Jharkhand has placer gold on the Subarnarekha and mines at Lawa, Parasi
Koderma — ruby mica · Jharkhand — Mica · Hazaribagh plateau. Ruby mica belt: Koderma–Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) into Gaya–Munger (Bihar)
Gudur, Nellore — mica · Andhra Pradesh — Mica. About 41% of India’s mica reserves are in AP (Nellore belt)
Zawar — zinc, lead, silver, Udaipur · Rajasthan — Lead-zinc · Aravalli. Zawar is India’s oldest lead-zinc belt (mined since ancient times); main ore = galena (lead) and sphalerite (zinc)
Rampura Agucha — zinc, Bhilwara · Rajasthan — Zinc · among the world’s largest. Hindustan Zinc’s largest mine; now underground
Sindesar Khurd and Rajpura–Dariba — silver · Rajasthan — Silver · by-product. Silver is recovered from lead-zinc ore, so the silver map = the zinc map
Degana — tungsten (wolfram), Nagaur · Rajasthan — Tungsten. Rewat hill at Degana; tungsten also in Karnataka (Chitradurga)
Dantewada (Bastar) — tin · Chhattisgarh — Tin · cassiterite. Cassiterite in the Bastar–Dantewada area; India imports most of its tin
Jaduguda — India’s first uranium mine · Jharkhand — Uranium · Singhbhum. Singhbhum shear zone: Jaduguda, Bhatin, Narwapahar, Turamdih
Tummalapalle — uranium, Kadapa · Andhra Pradesh — Uranium · Cuddapah basin. Low-grade but very large deposit in the Cuddapah basin
Chavara, Kollam — monazite and ilmenite sands · Kerala — Monazite · ilmenite · zircon. Kerala beach sands: monazite, ilmenite, rutile, zircon, sillimanite — NOT tungsten (UPSC 2006)
Panna — India’s only working diamond mine · Madhya Pradesh — Diamond · Vindhyan / kimberlite. NMDC’s Majhgawan kimberlite pipe is India’s only producing diamond mine
Payalikhand–Behradih — kimberlite, old Raipur district · Chhattisgarh — Diamond · kimberlite. Diamond-bearing kimberlite pipes in the former Raipur district (now Gariaband)
Wajrakarur and the Krishna gravels — diamonds · Andhra Pradesh — Diamond · Golconda. Wajrakarur kimberlite (Anantapur) and river gravels of the Krishna; kimberlite also in Raichur–Gulbarga (Karnataka)
Makrana — white marble, Nagaur · Rajasthan — Marble. Rajasthan makes most of India’s marble; also gypsum (Bikaner, Nagaur) and rock phosphate (Jhamarkotra, Udaipur)
Kharaghoda and the Rann — sea salt · Gujarat — Salt · sea brine. Gujarat makes most of India’s salt from sea brine; Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan) about a tenth
Digboi, Naharkatia, Moran — Upper Assam oil · Assam — Oil · Tertiary. Digboi: oil struck 1889, refinery 1901 — Asia’s oldest working refinery
Ankleshwar and the Cambay basin — oil and gas · Gujarat — Oil · Tertiary. Ankleshwar, Kalol, Lunej, Mehsana on the Cambay basin
Jamnagar — the world’s largest refinery complex · Gujarat — Refinery. Also Vadinar (Nayara) nearby; refineries sit near ports because crude is imported (UPSC 1981)
Mumbai High — offshore oil · Maharashtra — Oil · offshore. About 160 km off Mumbai; found 1974, ONGC; dot placed near the coast
Krishna–Godavari basin — offshore gas · Andhra Pradesh — Gas · offshore. Deep-water gas off Kakinada (Reliance D6, ONGC)
Narimanam — Cauvery delta oil · Tamil Nadu — Oil · Cauvery basin. Cauvery basin oil and gas near Nagapattinam; CPCL refinery at Nagapattinam
Shahgarh — gas in the Thar, Jaisalmer · Rajasthan — Gas · Barmer–Jaisalmer. Jaisalmer basin gas; Barmer (Mangala field, 2004) is Rajasthan’s big oil find

Asked in exams

UPSC 1984Iron ore mines → Singhbhum, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar
UPSC 2018“Rajasthan has iron ore mines” ✓ (only correct statement)
UPSC 1989Jharia, Ankleshwar, Bailadila, Malanjkhand → coal, oil, iron, copper
UPPCS 2015Bailadila → iron ore, Chhattisgarh
UPSC 2008Found in Chhattisgarh → bauxite, dolomite, iron ore, tin (all four)
UPSC 1990Damodar valley coal → Raniganj, Jharia, Giridih
UPSC 1989Jharia → coal
UPSC 1984Coal → Jharia, lignite → Neyveli, mica → Hazaribagh
UPSC 1982Khetri, Kolar, Sindri, Jharia → copper, gold, fertiliser, coal
UPSC 2004Coal → Giridih, copper → Alwar, manganese → Dharwar, lignite → Jayamkondam
UPSC 1997Coal → Karanpura, gold → Hutti, mica → Nellore, manganese → Bhandara
UPSC 2003Bokaro thermal power plant → Jharkhand
UPSC 1990Talcher–Ghanda–Sambalpur is NOT the Damodar valley (trap option)
UPSC 1990Singareni–Tandur–Sasti is NOT the Damodar valley (trap option)
UPSC 1984Most lignite → Tamil Nadu
UPSC 1984Lignite → Neyveli
UPSC 2004Lignite → Jayamkondam (TN)
UPSC 1988Apart from Neyveli, lignite is found in → Gujarat
UPSC 2008Namchik–Namphuk coalfields → Arunachal Pradesh
UPSC 2007Balaghat → diamonds ✗, Majhgawan → manganese ✗ (neither)
UPSC 1996Manganese → Madhya Pradesh
UPSC 1997Manganese → Bhandara
UPSC 201090% of nickel → Orissa ✓ (copper–Jharkhand ✗, tungsten–Kerala ✗)
UPSC 1996Nickel → Orissa
UPSC 1990Chromite → Sukinda
UPSC 2020Major minerals → chromite, kyanite, sillimanite (not bentonite)
UPSC 1982Khetri → copper
UPSC 2004Copper → Alwar
UPSC 1993India will stay self-sufficient in → copper (answer key)
UPSC 1990Copper → Malanjkhand, uranium → Jaduguda, chromite → Sukinda
UPSC 1989Malanjkhand → copper
UPSC 1989Copper deposits → Singhbhum
UPSC 201090% of copper in Jharkhand ✗
UPSC 2008Chhattisgarh has bauxite ✓
UPSC 1997Gold → Hutti
UPSC 1992Gold and copper mostly in → old igneous rocks
UPSC 1982Kolar → gold
UPSC 2018“AP and Jharkhand have no gold mines” ✗
UPSC 2013Mica in abundance in Kodarma ✓
UPSC 1990Koderma → mica
UPSC 1984Mica → Hazaribagh
UPSC 1997Mica → Nellore
UPSC 1990Udaipur → lead
UPSC 1996Lead-zinc → Rajasthan
UPSC 201090% of tungsten in Kerala ✗
UPSC 2008Chhattisgarh has tin ✓
UPSC 1993Self-sufficient in tin ✗
UPSC 1990Uranium → Jaduguda
UPSC 2009Largest uranium reserves → Australia
UPSC 2006Leading uranium producer → Canada (then; Kazakhstan now)
UPSC 2022Monazite: rare earths ✓, thorium ✓, whole coast ✗, only govt can process/export ✓
UPSC 2023Ilmenite and rutile → titanium
UPSC 2009India has no thorium ✗; Kerala monazite has uranium ✗ (key)
UPSC 2006Kerala beach sands → ilmenite, zircon, sillimanite (not tungsten)
UPSC 1990Monazite → thorium; Kerala → ilmenite
UPSC 1991Diamonds quarried from → Panna
UPSC 1987Diamonds quarried from → Panna
UPSC 2007Majhgawan → manganese ✗
UPSC 2007Diamond-bearing kimberlite recently found → Raipur
UPSC 1989Not true about Gujarat → largest tobacco producer (salt ✓)

Solve Indian Geography PYQs →More Indian Geography maps Telegram