<P> Chromite is an oxide of chromium and iron . It is the only commercial source of chromium . As on 2010, India had 200 million tonnes of resource . Major amount of resources are available from Orissa (Cuttack and Jajpur districts). Minor amount of resources are available from Manipur, Nagaland, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh . In 2009 - 2010, India produced 3.41 million tonnes and ranked second in world production . It is mostly mined by opencast method . Chromium provides additional strength to the alloys and it is resistant to corrosion, so it is mainly used in metallurgical applications . It can withstand sudden temperature changes, so it is used in refractories . It is also used in chemical applications . </P> <P> Non-metallic minerals are those which do not yield new products on melting . They are generally associated with sedimentary rocks . Non-Metallic minerals available from India are phosphorite, dolomite, gypsum, garnet, wollastonite, vermiculite, ochre, perlite, bentonite, asbestos, cadmium, felspar, soapstone, kaolin, sillimanite, limestone, diatomite, pyrophyllite, fluorite, vanadium, dunite, ilmenite, gallium and Zircon </P> <P> It is a group of complex silicate minerals and has similar chemical compositions . There are three groups of garnet - aluminum - garnet group, chromium - garnet group, and iron - garnet group . The minerals in aluminium - garnet group are almandine, grossularite, pyrope, and spessartine . The mineral in Iron - garnet group is andradite . The mineral in chromium - garnet group is uvarovite . Garnet group minerals occur in different rock types . It is a hard substance . It is resistant to chemical exposure . It is used as a semi-precious stone and also in abrasives, sand blasting, water filtration materials and water jet cutting . Garnets are available in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Orissa, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu . It is also found in beach sands of Kerala, Orissa and Tamil Nadu states . In 2007 - 08, India produced 8, 73,000 tonnes . </P> <P> It is a meta - silicate of calcium . It is mostly white in color and occurs as bladed or needle like crystals . As on 2010, India had 16 million tonnes of resource . Most of the deposits are available in Rajasthan (Dungarpur, Pali, Sirohi and Udaipur districts). Minor amount of deposits are found in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu . It is mainly used in ceramic industries and metallurgical applications . It is also used as a filler in wall tiles, paint, rubber and plastic . India is one of the largest reserves . In 2010, India produced 1, 45,000 tons . It is mined by opencast method . It is also used as a substitute for short - fibre asbestos in brake - linings . Central Building Research Institute has found that wollastonite can be used as substitute for chrysotile asbestos in cement products . </P>

Write short note on mineral wealth of india