In fact, White Tiger of Australia has teamed up with Binani Industries and Rajasthan State Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (RSMDCL) to float a joint company for exploring the metallic industrial minerals like lead, copper, zinc and tungsten.

Rajasthan produces no less than 67 kinds of major and minor minerals. The state has precious and semi-precious stones such as emeralds, acquamarine, and garnet as well.

The state government has also received 31 applications for carrying out aerial surveys of the mineral wealth from six MNC's. The total area to be covered by the MNC's is put at 43,443.29 sq km. Sanction letters have been issued by the government to some of the MNC's.

Rajasthan has India's largest known deposit of tungsten ore -- wolframite -- at Degana in the Nagaur district. The mine is being operated by the public sector Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL). HZL produced 5.45 tonnes of tungsten ore during 1993-94. Tungsten ore has also been located at Balda in Sorohi district and Sevriya in the Sorihi district. There are indications about the presence of iron ore and manganese ore in some parts of the state.

Rajasthan is a leading producer of lead, zinc and copper ores. It has about 400 million tonnes of identified resource of lead and zinc and 165 million tonnes of copper. During 1996-97, the state produced 2.11 million tonnes of lead-zinc and 1.23 million tonnes of copper ore. These mines are in the possession of HZL and HCL.

Among the non-metallic minerals are limestone, gypsum, rock phosphate, soapstone, wollastonite, silica sand, quartz, felspar, cllays and calcite. The state has about 2500 million tonnes of cement grade limestone reserves. Already as many as 13 large cement plants are in operation in the state.

Rajasthan has about 500 million tonnes of steel-grade limestone in the Jaisalmer district, bordering Pakistan. Last year the total production of steel-grade limestone was about 10 lakh tonnes.

Rajasthan meets about 90 per cent country's requirement of gypsum with a total reserves of 1071 million tonnes. About 952 million tonnes of gypsum are in the category of deep-seated and the mining of the same may be quite expensive.

The state is also the principal producer of rock phosphate in the country with the reserves of about 95 million tonnes at Jhamarkotra, near Udaipur.

According to state mine secretary CK Mathew, the emerald deposits in the state could be substantial. These deposits are located in the districts of Udaipur and Ajmer. For exploring the precious mineral high techniques are required. Garnet and acquamarine deposits have been located in Tonk district.

Diamond deposits have also been found in the Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.

Mathew said about 1400 million tonnes of lignite deposits of fuel mineral have been established in the districts of Bikaner, Barmer and Nagaur. He said two power plants based on lignite would be set up in Rajasthan.

Oil and natural gas reserves have also been found in Rajasthan. Based on natural gas a 3mw power plant has gone in operation in Jaisalmer. Another gas based power plant of the installed capacity of 35.5 mw is also being put at Jaisalmer.

Not less than 6 blocks have been offered for oil and natural gas exploration under joint ventures in Rajasthan. Shell International has signed an agreement with Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) for the surveys in the Barmer-Sanchor basin and the work is in progress. Shell has decided to drill two oil wells in the Sanchor basin.

Essar Oil has also signed an agreement with Oil India Ltd and the centre for the survey work in the Bikaner and Nagaur districts.

Rajasthan is also an important producer of various kinds of dimensional stones like marble, granite, limestone (kotahstone), sandstone and slatesetc. There are about 1000 million tonnes of marble reserves in the state with a market share of 90 per cent. Nearly 70 of India's dimensional stones are also being produced in Rajasthan.