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Key Points at a Glance
- Rajasthan is one of India's richest mineral states: the Economic Review 2025-26 reports the occurrence of nearly 82 varieties of minerals, of which 57 are currently under commercial production. This corrects the older 81/58 formulation that appeared in earlier teaching drafts.
- Rajasthan is India's sole or dominant source for several high-value minerals, especially zinc ores, selenite, wollastonite, natural gypsum, silver, calcite and lead-zinc ore. For answer writing, use the exact mineral name and avoid the vague phrase "mineral-rich state" unless it is followed by examples.
- The state leads India in major industrial minerals such as silver, calcite, gypsum, ball clay, phosphorite, ochre, steatite, feldspar and garnet. These are not decorative facts; they explain why Rajasthan has cement, stone, fertiliser, ceramics and smelting clusters.
- The Mines and Geology department's 2025-26 revenue target is Rs 12,980 crore, against which Rs 6,857.97 crore had been collected up to December 2025. Use this updated figure instead of the older 2024-25 target of Rs 9,500 crore.
- The Economic Review 2025-26 lists 3,395 major-mineral mining leases, 13,428 minor-mineral mining leases and 16,058 quarry licences in the state. The Rajasthan Mineral Policy 2024 separately records the 2023-24 policy baseline of 148 major-mineral leases, 16,817 minor-mineral leases and 17,454 quarry licences.
- RSMML (Rajasthan State Mines & Minerals Limited) is the state mining PSE. The Economic Review 2025-26 reports that it generated Rs 1,726.03 crore in unaudited gross revenue in 2024-25, with four Strategic Business Units: Rock Phosphate at Jhamarkotra, Gypsum at Bikaner, Limestone at Jodhpur and Lignite at Jaipur/Barsingsar.
- Jhamarkotra in Udaipur is India's largest rock-phosphate mining centre and is commonly cited with reserves of about 20 crore tonnes. It is the anchor of Rajasthan's fertiliser-mineral linkage because rock phosphate feeds single superphosphate production.
- Zawar mines in Udaipur are among India's classic primary lead-zinc mining areas and are operated by Hindustan Zinc Limited. Pair Zawar with Agucha, Sindesar Khurd and Rajpura-Dariba in answer writing.
- Sindesar Khurd in Rajsamand is India's largest primary silver mine; annual silver output from this mine has crossed 700 tonnes in high-output years. Link it to HZL's lead-zinc-silver value chain.
- Rajasthan accounts for roughly 90-95 per cent of India's garnet production, especially from the Tonk-Ajmer-Bhilwara-Sawai Madhopur belt. This makes garnet a useful example for export-oriented industrial minerals.
- Rajasthan Mineral Policy 2024 targets expansion of active mineral extraction from 58 to 70 minerals by 2046-47, direct and indirect employment for 1 crore people, and a mineral concession area of 2 per cent by 2046-47.
- District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT) spending is a ready governance example: the Economic Review 2025-26 reports Rs 9,393.38 crore sanctioned and Rs 5,927.84 crore spent up to December 2025 for mining-affected areas.
- Rajasthan's Aravalli range is the state's primary metallogenic belt. It hosts zinc, lead, copper, silver and iron-ore deposits because Precambrian formations of the Aravalli and Delhi Supergroups carry the major ore bodies.
- Makrana marble in Nagaur is premium white dolomitic marble, famous for its use in the Taj Mahal. In exam answers, link Makrana to Kishangarh processing, Rajsamand-Udaipur coloured marble and the wider dimensional-stone industry.
- Rajasthan remains important in hydrocarbons as well. The Economic Review 2025-26 states that the state accounts for about 12 per cent of India's crude-oil output, producing about 3.42 MMTPA out of the national 28.70 MMTPA, mainly from the Barmer-Sanchore basin.