Manganese is not found as a free element in nature. It is often found in combination with iron. The most important manganese ore is pyrolusite. Manganese is primarily used in iron and steel industry. 

• Andhra Pradesh: 13% of India’s manganese production comes from this state. Cuddapah, Vijayanagaram and Guntur are other manganese producing districts. 
• Karnataka: 6 per cent of India’s manganese comes from this state. Uttara Kannada, Shimoga, Bellary, Chitradurg and Tumkur districts are manganese producing districts. 
• Madhya Pradesh: It produces about 27.59 per cent of India’s manganese ore. The main belt extends in Balaghat and Chhindwara districts. It is just an extension of the Nagpur Bhandara belt of Maharashtra. 

Source: NCERT – XII India People and Economy