Minor Minerals in India

The total geographical area of India is around 328 million hectares, out of which mining leases (other than fuel, atomic, and minor minerals) constitute around 0.14%, and barely 20% of them are mined. The Indian economy is expected to grow by approximately 7% in the years to come. Sectors like infrastructure and automobiles will receive a renewed thrust, which will further generate demand for power and steel in the country. The mining sector provides raw materials for these fast-growing sectors.

In India, minerals are classified as minor minerals and major minerals. According to Section 3(e) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, “minor minerals” means building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand other than manufactured sand, and any other mineral that the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare to be a minor mineral.

The data on minor minerals relates to value only. The quantitative figures are not uniformly available for all states. Minor minerals are those that are declared as such by the Central Government in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section I(a) of the Mines & Minerals (Regulation & Development) Act, 1957. They are further revised and notified from time to time in the Gazette of India. As minor minerals fall outside the purview of the MCDR, their statistics are collected by the state geological departments under the Minor Mineral Concession Rules framed by the respective state governments for regulating the extraction of such minerals.

Minor minerals comprise mostly minerals that are locally available and have local use. These are not used in any major industries. Most building and construction materials fall into this category. In various states, the following minerals have been included in the category of minor minerals:.