Which is the only state in India that currently produces diamonds?

Madhya Pradesh is the only state in India where diamonds are currently mined commercially. Production comes from the Panna district, which is famous for its diamond deposits.

The Majhgawan mine:

The Majhgawan mine near Panna is India's only mechanised diamond mine. It is operated by NMDC Limited (a public sector company).

Diamonds here occur in a kimberlite pipe. Kimberlite is a volcanic rock that brings diamonds up from deep inside the Earth (about 150 km or more below the surface), where the high pressure and temperature allow carbon to form diamonds.

The mine's operations have been interrupted at times because of environmental clearances, as it lies close to the Panna Tiger Reserve.

Small-scale mining in Panna:

• Local people can lease small plots of land from the government's diamond office in Panna to dig for diamonds in shallow gravel deposits.
• The diamonds they find must be deposited with the diamond office and are sold through government auctions, with the finder receiving the proceeds minus taxes.

The Bunder project:

A large diamond deposit was discovered at Bunder in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The Australian company Rio Tinto explored it but withdrew in 2017. The project has since been auctioned to another company, but mining has faced opposition because of the forest cover.

India's historic diamond mines:

• Before diamonds were discovered in Brazil and South Africa, India was the world's only major source of diamonds.
• The famous Golconda mines, mainly in the Krishna river valley (such as at Kollur), produced historic diamonds such as the Koh-i-Noor, the Hope Diamond and the Darya-i-Noor.

India today:

India's diamond mining is very small, but India is the world's largest centre for cutting and polishing diamonds. Surat in Gujarat is the main diamond-processing hub.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Chhattisgarh has known kimberlite deposits, but no commercial production.
• ✗Jharkhand has no diamond mining.
• ✗Telangana was part of the historic Golconda kingdom, but no diamonds are mined there now.