Distribution of Lead and Zinc Ores – India and the World
Let’s begin with the global scenario, and then zoom into India.
Global Distribution of Lead and Zinc
🔹 World Lead Reserves (2024)
| Rank | Country | Lead Reserves |
| 1 | Australia | 36% |
| 2 | China | 23% |
| 3 | Russia | 9.3% |
| 4 | Mexico | 5.8% |
| 5 | Peru | 5.2% |
🔹 World Lead Production (2024)
| Rank | Country | Lead Production |
| 1 | China | 44.2% |
| 2 | Australia | 10.0% |
| 3 | USA | 6.9% |
| 4 | Russia, India | 4.6% |
✅ Observation:
While Australia has the highest reserves, China is the leading producer — showing that production is driven more by industrial demand and refining capacity than just reserves.
🔹 World Zinc Reserves (2024)
| Rank | Country | Zinc Reserves |
| 1 | Australia | 27.8% |
| 2 | China | 20.0% |
| 3 | Russia | 12.6% |
| 4 | Peru | 8.7% |
🔹 World Zinc Production (2024)
| Rank | Country | Zinc Production |
| 1 | China | 33.3% |
| 2 | Peru | 10.8% |
| 3 | Australia | 9.2% |
| 4 | USA | 6.3% |
✅ Observation:
Again, China dominates production — even if Australia holds far more reserves. This reflects China’s industrial consumption and heavy investment in smelting technologies.
Distribution of Lead and Zinc in India
Now let’s bring the lens closer to India.
🧾 India’s Total Reserves (as on 01.04.2020):
- Lead: 1.9 million tonnes
- Zinc: 7.4 million tonnes
Despite modest reserves in global terms, India has developed a robust zinc industry and is self-sufficient in zinc, though it still faces a lead deficit.
Rajasthan is the epicentre of India’s lead-zinc industry — much like what Jharkhand is to coal.
Key Lead-Zinc Mining Regions in India
🔹 Rajasthan – The Dominant Producer
- Zawar (Udaipur) – One of the oldest known mines.
- Debari (Udaipur) – Home to smelting facilities.
- Rampura-Agucha (Bhilwara) – Among the largest zinc-lead mines globally.
- Rajpura-Dariba-Bethumni (Rajsamand)
- Sindesar Khurd (Rajsamand)
- Kayad (Ajmer)
All these mines are operated by Hindustan Zinc Ltd, a major PSU-turned-private enterprise under Vedanta Group.
🔹 Other States (Smaller Deposits)
- Andhra Pradesh – Kurnool, Nalgonda
- Madhya Pradesh – Malanjkhand, part of Rampura-Agucha belt
- Chhattisgarh – Rajnandgaon, Balod
- Bihar and Maharashtra – Minor reserves
Industry Dynamics and Recycling
- Zinc Industry in India is self-sustaining, thanks to efficient mining and smelting in Rajasthan.
- Lead Industry, however, relies heavily on recycling — particularly from used lead-acid batteries.
- The Lead Acid Battery Sector meets much of its demand through scrap recovery, rather than mining.
- Binani Zinc Ltd (Edayar, Kerala), once a major player, shut down post the SICA repeal (Sick Industrial Companies Act) — reflecting India’s challenges in non-ferrous refining.
