VV Mineral, is a two-decade-old, private heavy mineral mining organization, who has been mining beach sand. These include radioactive minerals on the Kanyakumari coast. The process of separating thorium from monazite, a rare earth ore found in the area, requires a particular technology which VV Mineral does not possess. As of now, the company only extracts and exports garnet and ilmenite to 20 countries, including Australia and the US.