The two varieties of iron ore of India having high iron content are magnetite and hematite.Magnetite is the finest quality iron ore with very high iron content upto 70 per cent. Hematite has an iron content of 50 to 60 per cent but is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of the quantity used. Rich iron-ore deposits are found in the following regions of India : (i) Orissa-Jharkhand belt with high grade haematite iron ore in Badampahar mines in the Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts of Orissa, and Gua and Noamundi in the Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. (ii) Durg-Bastar-Chandrapur belt in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra with super-high grade hematite iron ore, in the famous Bailadila range of hills in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. (iii) Bellary-Chitradurga-Chikmaglur-Tumkur belt in Karnataka has large reserves of iron ore.The Kudremukhmines located in the Western Ghats are known to be one of the largest deposits in the world. (iv) Maharashtra-Goa belt includes Ratnagiri and Chandrapur in Maharashtra and Bicholiam and Pali in Goa About half of the iron-ore produced in the country is exported primarily to Japan, Korea,European countries and Gulf countries. Paradip, Vishakhapatnam, Mangalore and Marmagao are the main iron exporting ports. Export of good quality ores in large quantities have positive as well as negative effects. The export of the ore earns huge quantities of foreign exchange which is imperative for development activities. The export of good quality ores has a negative effect on industrial production within the country which lags in production of iron and steel in spite of having good reserves of iron ore.