The Indian Council of Agricultural Research on the basis of texture, structure, colour, pH value, and porosity has identified the following types of soil groups.
- Alluvial soils
- Red soils
- Regur (Black-earth) soils
- Desert soils
- Laterite soils
- Mountain soils
- Red and Black soils
- Grey and Brown soils
- Submontane soils
- Snowfields.
Geologically, Indian soils can broadly be divided into soils of peninsular India and soils of extra-peninsular India.
- The soils of Peninsular India are formed by the decomposition of rocks in situ, i.e. directly from the underlying rocks. Soils of Peninsular India are transported and re-deposited to a limited extent and are known as sedentary soils or zonal soils.
- The soils of the Extra-Peninsula are formed due to the depositional work of rivers and wind. They are very deep. They are often referred to as transported or azonal soils.
