Silver Production in India, Largest Silver Producer and Mines

India is a significant, though not leading, global producer of silver, with most production coming as a byproduct of lead, zinc, copper, and gold mining. Rajasthan leads the states in silver output. Check here all about the Silver Production in India.

Table of Contents

Context: According to India’s silver production has increased 20-fold from a meagre 47 tonnes in 2002 to 700 tonnes in 2024. The increase in production has helped the country emerge as the largest jewellery and silverware fabrication producer in 2024, while it has emerged as one of the largest consumers of gold.

Silver Production In India

India is a major, though not leading, world producer of silver. In contrast to some other big producers of silver where silver is the dominating metal produced, much of India’s silver production is by way of recovery from the mining of other base metals, such as lead, zinc, copper, and at times gold.

Silver (Ag- 47) is a precious metal known for its lustre, conductivity, and malleability.
It is extensively used in jewellery, electroplating, photography, electronics, chemicals, and glass colouring.
Found mixed with copper, lead, gold, and zinc
Extracted primarily as a by-product during the smelting of lead, zinc, and copper

Major Silver Ore Minerals

Argentite (Ag₂S): Most important silver ore.
Stephanite (Ag₅SbS₄): Sulphide of silver and antimony.
Pyrargyrite (Ag₃SbS₃): Ruby silver, dark red in colour.
Proustite (Ag₃AsS₃): Another ruby silver ore with arsenic.
Galena (PbS): Lead ore, which often contains silver as an impurity.
India is rich in ores such as sphalerite (ZnS) and galena (PbS), which contain zinc, lead and silver.

Major Silver Producing Mines and Smelters in India

Zawar Mines, Udaipur (Rajasthan).
Sindesar Khurd Mine, Rajasthan– the world’s top five silver-producing mines.
Tundoo Lead Smelter, Jharkhand – Produces silver as a by-product of lead extraction.

Top Silver Producing Countries

Mexico
China
Peru

Major Silver Producing States and Mines in India

Rajasthan is India’s undisputed leading state among silver producers, accounting for more than 60% of India’s overall production. This is attributed mostly to the rich polymetallic deposits of the state. Rajasthan’s major mines and areas are:

Sindesar Khurd Mine (Rajasthan): It’s among the biggest silver-producing mines in India, and frequently it provides a substantial percentage (e.g., 25-30%) of the country’s production. It’s an underground mine, mainly lead and zinc, with silver as a byproduct.
Zawar Mines (Udaipur, Rajasthan): It is a historically important mining complex, with zinc and lead deposits, from which silver is produced as a byproduct. It’s an old underground zinc-lead mine in Asia.
Rampura Agucha Mine (Bhilwara, Rajasthan): One of the major zinc and lead mines producing significant amounts of silver.
Rajpura Dariba Mine (Rajasthan): Also an important producer from lead-zinc operations.

Other States

Other states that contribute to India’s silver production, primarily as a byproduct, include:

Andhra Pradesh: The Vizag Zinc smelter produces silver from lead concentrates.
Jharkhand: Tundoo Lead Smelter near the Dhanbad district is a producer, and minor silver is also associated with copper in the Singhbhum district.
Karnataka: Silver is manufactured as a byproduct during gold refining at Kolar Gold Fields and Hutti Gold Mines.
Telangana and Haryana supply smaller proportions.

Extraction Process of Silver

Since silver is mostly produced as a byproduct, its extraction usually entails:

Smelting of Galena (lead ore): One of the most important sources of silver is the smelting of lead ore, in which silver occurs as an impurity.
Electrolysis or Chemical Processes: Employed for the extraction of silver from lead, zinc, copper, and gold ores during refining.