The broad regions of India where metallic and non-metallic minerals are concentrated, largely in the old, hard rocks of the Peninsular plateau, recognised as several distinct mineral belts.
- The North-Eastern Plateau belt (Chhota Nagpur, covering Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh) is the richest, with iron ore, coal, manganese, mica, bauxite, and copper; it is often called the "Ruhr of India."
- The South-Western Plateau belt (Karnataka, Goa, parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala) is rich in iron ore, manganese, and limestone, with the Kolar gold fields in Karnataka.
- The North-Western belt (Rajasthan and Gujarat along the Aravallis) has non-ferrous metals such as copper (Khetri), zinc and lead (Zawar, Rampura Agucha), and building stones.
- Most metallic minerals lie in the Archaean and Dharwar rocks of the Peninsula; the young alluvial plains and the Himalayas are largely mineral-poor.
- The Mineral Concession Rules and the MMDR Act govern leasing; mineral-rich tribal districts often overlap with Fifth Schedule areas and left-wing extremism zones, giving the subject a security angle.
The three or four named belts, the Chhota Nagpur "Ruhr of India" tag, Khetri copper, Kolar gold, and the overlap of mineral districts with tribal and Maoist-affected areas are recurring resource and security facts.
Iron-and-coal heartland is the North-Eastern (Chhota Nagpur) belt; copper and zinc are North-Western (Rajasthan); the alluvial plains and Himalayas are mineral-poor, not mineral-rich.
Mineral wealth concentrated in Peninsular rocks: North-Eastern (Chhota Nagpur, the richest), South-Western (Karnataka-Goa), and North-Western (Rajasthan) belts.