Key facts

  • Forest Survey of India reported India's forest cover at 7,13,789 sq km, or 21.71% of geographic area, in the State of Forest Report 2021.
  • Forest and tree cover together were 8,09,537 sq km, or 24.62% of India's area;
  • Alluvial soil covers about 43% of cultivated land and is the most productive soil type of the Ganga-Indus plains and major deltas.
  • India's utilisable water resource is about 1,123 BCM, made up of 690 BCM surface water and 433 BCM groundwater.
  • India has about 400.715 billion tonnes of coal resources as of 1 April 2025 and is the world's 2nd largest coal producer.

Key Points at a Glance

  1. 1

    Forest Survey of India reported India's forest cover at 7,13,789 sq km, or 21.71% of geographic area, in the State of Forest Report 2021.

  2. 2

    Forest and tree cover together were 8,09,537 sq km, or 24.62% of India's area; the National Forest Policy 1988 target is one-third of land under forest or tree cover.

  3. 3

    Tropical deciduous forests are the most widespread vegetation type; moist deciduous forests are led by sal in eastern India and teak in central-western India.

  4. 4

    Alluvial soil covers about 43% of cultivated land and is the most productive soil type of the Ganga-Indus plains and major deltas.

  5. 5

    India's utilisable water resource is about 1,123 BCM, made up of 690 BCM surface water and 433 BCM groundwater.

  6. 6

    India has about 400.715 billion tonnes of coal resources as of 1 April 2025 and is the world's 2nd largest coal producer.

  7. 7

    Major mineral links are iron ore in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Jharkhand; bauxite in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra; and mica in Jharkhand and Rajasthan.

  8. 8

    India committed at COP26 to 500 GW non-fossil fuel electricity capacity by 2030; renewable capacity was reported at 220.10 GW as of 31 March 2025.

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Natural Resource Base of India

India's natural resource base includes land, water, soils, forests, minerals and energy resources. The country's total geographical area is 32,87,240 sq km. Its resource pattern is shaped by the Himalayas, the Indo-Gangetic alluvium, the Peninsular shield and the coastline. For an objective exam, the main task is to remember where each resource is concentrated and what economic use it supports.

Resources are broadly renewable or non-renewable. Forests, water, soil, solar energy, wind energy and tidal energy are renewable when managed properly. Coal, petroleum, natural gas and metallic minerals are non-renewable because extraction reduces the stock. India's resource geography follows three broad patterns: Gondwana formations in Peninsular India provide coal, iron ore, bauxite and mica; alluvial deposits in the Indo-Gangetic plains provide fertile soil and groundwater; and the Himalayas and coasts support hydropower, biodiversity, fisheries and offshore oil.

Exam takeaway: connect each resource with its region and use, such as black soil with cotton, bauxite with aluminium and coal with thermal power.

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