India is fairly well endowed with natural resources. It provides 52 minerals: three fuel minerals, 11 metallic minerals and 38 non-metallic minerals. It is the world's largest producer of mica blocks and splits and is also a major producer of chlorite, iron ore, manganese ore, barytes and kyanite.
India is self sufficient in coal (with the exception of low ash coking coal used in steel plants) and lignite among mineral fuels. Among metallic minerals it is self sufficient in bauxite, chlorite, iron and manganese ores, ilmenite and rutile. But, self-sufficiency in copper, lead and zinc is rather low.
The Index of Mineral Production has grown by more than 5% per annum for the past three decades.
Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy, Bombay
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Last updated: August 1995.