The South-Western Plateau Region

This region covers Karnataka, Goa, the uplands of Tamil Nadu that lie next to it, and Kerala. It is a mineral-rich belt, but its strength lies in a specific set of resources rather than a wide variety.

The key feature of the South-Western Plateau is its abundance of ferrous metals — metals that contain iron. This makes it a major source of iron ore, manganese, and limestone, all of which are essential for the iron and steel industry. It also holds significant deposits of bauxite, the ore from which aluminium is extracted.

However, the belt has a clear weakness: it lacks coal deposits. The only notable exception is the lignite (a lower grade of coal) found at Neyveli in Tamil Nadu. Because of this shortage of coal, the region does not have the same diversity of minerals as the North-Eastern Plateau belt.

State-wise highlights:

• Kerala: Holds deposits of monazite and thorium — both are radioactive minerals used for nuclear energy. It also has bauxite clay. …