Where India's minerals and energy come from — and how the energy mix is shifting.
Iron ore — India's major reserves lie in the Odisha-Jharkhand belt (Singhbhum, Kendujhar) and the Bailadila range (Chhattisgarh), with Karnataka's Bellary-Hospet belt also significant. India is a leading global producer and exporter of iron ore. Bauxite (for aluminium) is concentrated in Odisha, and manganese in Odisha, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
Coal reserves are concentrated in the Damodar Valley (Jharkhand-West Bengal) — Jharia and Raniganj coalfields — and the Godavari valley. India is the world's second-largest coal producer. Petroleum production is centred on Bombay High (offshore Mumbai), Gujarat (Ankleshwar), and Assam (Digboi, India's oldest oil field), though India remains heavily import-dependent for crude oil.
India's installed power capacity remains coal-dominant, but renewable energy — solar, wind, and hydropower — has expanded rapidly. India has committed to 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 under its updated NDCs. Major solar parks include Bhadla (Rajasthan), one of the world's largest, while wind capacity is concentrated in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka.
Download this topic's notes as a PDF, or search uploaded materials.
