Bauxite is basically an aluminous rock with hydrated aluminium oxide as the main constituent with varying proportions of iron oxide, silica and titania. It is an essential ore used in production of aluminium metal which is one of the most important non-ferrous metals used in the modern industry. It is also used in refractory and chemical industries. India has abundant resources of bauxite which can meet both domestic and export demands.
Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Jharkhand are the principal states where bauxite deposits are located. Major bauxite reserves are concentrated in the east-coast bauxite deposits of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. In addition, conditional resources of bauxite are located in Karanataka and Madhya Pradesh.
The State-wise total reserves of bauxite as in April 2000 is given below :
| State | Reserves (in Million tonnes) |
| All India | 3075.71 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 612.76 |
| Bihar | 4.11 |
| Chhattisgarh | 198.22 |
| Goa | 64.28 |
| Gujarat | 185.49 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 2.03 |
| Jharkhand | 117.35 |
| Karnataka | 45.89 |
| Kerala | 14.23 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 131.49 |
| Maharashtra | 124.78 |
| Orissa | 1529.64 |
| Rajasthan | 0.53 |
| Tamil Nadu | 26.00 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 18.91 |
New Delhi: Vaisakha 30, 1927 / May 20, 2005
Ministry of Mines & Minerals
DS/SCH