Not all metals which drive the Indian economy receive the spotlight they deserve. However, the glue that has been holding the industrial sector together is a mineral known as Manganese and without it the steel industry in India cannot operate.
To produce a single tonne of steel in India, there is a requirement of approximately 6 kilograms of manganese. This statistic alone is sufficient to understand how significant this mineral is in respect to everyday life.
Which State is the Largest Producer of Manganese in India?
So which state is the largest producer of this mineral in India? The answer is Madhya Pradesh, which is among the leading manganese producing states in India. As per the IBM for the year 2022, an estimated 31.50% of the total production of manganese ore in India for the year 2021-22.
The report mentions: “Madhya Pradesh is the leading producing State of manganese ore accounting for 31.50% of total production during 2021-22 followed by Maharashtra 27% and Odisha 19%.”
The Balaghat Mines is the biggest manganese ore mine in India. It is also the largest Asian manganese ore mine.
Currently, MOIL has 10 mines out of which six are in Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and four in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. All these mines are about a century old. The company has the largest mine, Balaghat Mine. The mine has now reached a mining depth of about 435 metres from the surface.
The report mentions: “At present, India’s largest manganese ore producer MOIL operates its underground and pencast mines located in the Nagpur and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. All these mines are about a century old. The Balaghat Mine is the largest mine of the Company. . The mine has now reached a mining depth of about 435 meters from the surface.”
Manganese belt of Madhya Pradesh is scooped in two major districts Balaghat and Chhindwara. The main belt extends in Balaghat and Chhindwara districts. It is simply a continuation of Nagpur-Bhandara belt of Maharashtra. The geological continuity of these two states' deposits is one of the reasons why the central Indian belt is so dominant in national production.
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What Exactly is Manganese?
Manganese is a metallic mineral, silvery-grey in appearance, which is located in the crust of the earth, and practically never exists in isolation. In India, it is found primarily in association with iron ore, laterite and other oxides in ancient Precambrian rocks. It is not as shiny as gold and as discussed as coal, yet it is probably more vital to the industrial machinery of India.
The SRG Group Info mentions: “Manganese is a silvery-white metal that cannot be worked on because it is too fragile in its pure state. Although it contains a number of ferro magnetic compounds and parts, this metal is not the same as iron. However, it can be included to enhance the properties of other ferro magnetic metals. Manganese boosts the steel's stiffness, hardness and strength when it is added to the melting process for carbon steel, tool steel, stainless steel or high-temperature steel.”
Manganese ore is necessary in the production of one tonne of steel as approximately 6 kilograms of manganese ore is needed to accomplish deoxidation and desulfurisation. It improves the strength, hardness, and wear resistance of the steel.
As per Raw Material Outlook, “Approximately 6-9 kilograms of manganese are required to produce a tonne of steel and there are no viable substitutes for manganese in the conversion of iron ore to steel.”
In short, manganese is in your batteries, in the railways, in your walls, and in the steel that frames the entire country.
Manganese Production By State
Here is the list of top 5 highest manganese producing states in India:
| Rank | State | Production Share |
| 1 | Madhya Pradesh | 31.50% |
| 2 | Maharashtra | 27.14% |
| 3 | Odisha | 19.01% |
| 4 | Karnataka | 14.10% |
| 5 | Andhra Pradesh | 7.57% |
Source: Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM)
Reserves vs Production: A Crucial Distinction
The distinction between the reserves and production has been one of the greatest causes of confusion when it comes to studying the geography of manganese in India. They are not necessarily identical.
Reserves = The amount of deposits estimated to be in the ground. Production = How much is actually being mined at this time.
Odisha holds 34% of India's reserves followed by Karnataka (24%), Madhya Pradesh (12%), Maharashtra (12%), Goa (7%) , Andhra Pradesh (6%) and Jharkhand (3%).
The IBM report mentions: “Statewise, Odisha tops the total reserves/resources with 34% share followed by Karnataka (24%), Madhya Pradesh (12%), Maharashtra (12%), Goa (7%) , Andhra Pradesh (6%) and Jharkhand (3%).
Manganese is not news as is crude oil or gold, yet every road in India, every railroad track, and every building constructed in India has part of it indoors. Madhya Pradesh, with its Balaghat mines and its hundred-year-old industrial belt is still the mainstay of Indian manganese production. Odisha, which sits on the largest untapped reserve in the country, is on the rise at a very high rate. And Maharashtra, where MOIL has its headquarters, and where some of the best quality ore in India is also found, brings the trio together to keep the India steel-driven economy rolling.
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