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Why is the Chota Nagpur plateau important to India’s mineral production?

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Map highlighting the state of Jharkhand in eastern India, shaded in orange with its capital, Ranchi, marked. Surrounding countries including Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka are also shown for regional context. — Jharkhand Jharkhand, India.

The Chota Nagpur plateau is vital to India’s economy because it contains the country's most valuable concentration of mineral resources.

The region’s geological wealth supports heavy industries, particularly metallurgy and mining, by providing essential raw materials. Key resources found in the plateau include:1

Coal: The Damodar River valley holds vast reserves, which are critical for power generation and industrial fuel.2
Mica: The Hazaribagh region is recognized as one of the world's primary sources of this mineral.2
Industrial Metals and Minerals: The area is rich in iron ore, copper, bauxite, limestone, asbestos, and apatite.2

This abundance of coal and iron ore has made the plateau a central hub for India's steel and mining sectors, exemplified by large-scale facilities such as the steel mill and thermal power plant located at Bokaro.21