Industry Overview

There is nothing more alluring than the beauty of the natural stone. A continuous increase can be seen in the demand of these stones, leading to a tremendous increas in their business across the globe. Modern technology is being used to offer superior processes and finishing to these stones. Various natural stones trade shows, sandstone expos, heavy stone machinery trade fairs etc., are being conducted to attract various natural stone specialists, machinery and equipment developers etc. India is one of the largest processor of various kinds of stone that cater to the construction needs globally. From Rs. 12,845.1 million export in 1996- 97, we now have an export revenue of over Rs. 26,146.0. India produces / processes over 27% of the stone produced in the world and export over 11% of the world stone exports. India is primarily known for it's vast resources of natural stones spread across the length & breadth of the country's geography.

India is the home of exquisite natural stones. Indian natural stones have been used for centuries in constructing architectural marvels not only in India but other parts of world too. Almost all varieties of most popular natural stones are available in India. Some of them are marble, sandstone, granite, limestone, travertine, quartz and slate. The deposits of these natural stones are situated across the entire length and breadth of India, where the variety or type varies greatly from state to state. A brief overview of natural stone availability in India is given below:

Marble Reserves & Availability : A wide variety of Marbles with different surface appearance is available mostly in Western part of India in states of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Granite Reserves & Availability : It is an estimate that about 25% of world's total granite deposit is available in India. Maximum concentration of deposits is recorded in Southern Peninsula at Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Recent surveys and findings reveal granite sources in Eastern, Western and North Western India i.e., at Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Orissa.

Sandstone Reserves & Availability : Sandstone deposits in India is widespread mainly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Slate Reserves & Availability : The slate stone deposits are mainly found in Rajasthan and sparingly in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.

Limestone Reserves & Availability : Limestone reserves are found in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

The varied topography of central highlands and major Plateaus of India blesses the country with a variety of natural stones in different parts. The different varieties of stones and their kinds are given below :

Rajasthan : Rajasthan is an eminent place in India when it comes to quarrying and mining. Due to its unique landforms, the state has not only a huge reserve of natural stones but also the finest varieties in terms of appearance and pattens. The prominent ones are :

• Marble – Makrana, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Banswara, Jaipur
• Granite
• Sandstone
• Slate stone
• Flaggy Limestones

Andhra Pradesh : Andhra Pradesh has rich reserves of Granite and is the largest producer of the same. Most part of the state have quarries for Granite. Only some of these quarries in the world have deposits of rare and exclusive blue and white granite. The details of the natural stone found in Andhra Pradesh are given as follows :

• Granite – Jet Black, Black Galaxy, Blue, White
• Slate/Phyllite
• Marble
• Flaggy Limestone

Tamil Nadu : Tamil Nadu is a prominent place for quarrying in India because of two reasons. First, the state has some finest deposits of granite and other natural stone. Second, it has international seaport with excellent export infrastructure, facilitating an effective shipment for international destinations. The most abundant natural stones in the state are :

• Granite – Black, Blue, White variants

Karnataka : Karnataka has rich deposits of granites in varieties. The textures and colours of the granites available in Karnataka make them very much suitable for ornamental purposes. Famous granite stones extracted from the state include :

• Pink Granite
• Grey granite
• Pink migmatic granite

Other States : Apart from these states Orissa, Gujarat, and Madhay Pradesh are among the major producers of various types of natural stones. The other states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh also have quarries with fair enough deposits of natural stones.