Importance, classification, textiles, iron & steel, location factors and industrial pollution
Provides machines, tools and fertilisers that make farming more efficient and productive.
Reduces dependence on agriculture by creating jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors.
Setting up industries in backward areas reduces regional imbalances and poverty.
Export of manufactured goods brings in valuable foreign exchange and national wealth.
| Basis | Types |
|---|---|
| Raw material | Agro-based (cotton, jute, sugar) · Mineral-based (iron & steel, cement) |
| Role | Basic/key industries (iron & steel) · Consumer industries (sugar, paper) |
| Capital investment | Small-scale · Large-scale |
| Ownership | Public (SAIL) · Private (TISCO) · Joint · Cooperative (AMUL) |
| Bulk & weight | Heavy industries · Light industries |
Concentrated in Maharashtra & Gujarat (Mumbai, Ahmedabad) — for black soil, moist climate, ports, labour and market. First mill: Mumbai, 1854.
Mostly along the Hugli river in West Bengal — near jute fields, cheap water transport, labour and Kolkata port. Faces competition from synthetics.
India is a major silk producer. Woollen and synthetic (man-made fibre) textiles add to the sector's diversity.
Weaving is highly decentralised — handloom, powerloom and mill sectors provide huge rural employment.
| Factor | Cotton Textiles | Jute Industry |
|---|---|---|
| Main region | Maharashtra, Gujarat | Hugli basin, West Bengal |
| Raw material | Raw cotton (black soil) | Raw jute (fertile flood plains) |
| Transport / Port | Mumbai port | Kolkata port, cheap river transport |
| Challenge | Global competition, old machinery | Synthetic substitutes |
Tata Iron & Steel Co., Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) — a private-sector plant near iron ore, coal and Kolkata port.
Public-sector plants (SAIL) set up with foreign collaboration — Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and Rourkela (Odisha).
Located in the Damodar valley/West Bengal-Jharkhand belt, using local coal and iron ore.
High cost of coking coal, low labour productivity, irregular energy and poor infrastructure. Liberalisation & FDI are helping growth.
Needs limestone, silica, alumina and gypsum plus coal. Essential for construction of houses, roads, dams and bridges. Located near limestone (Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP).
Second most important metallurgical industry. Uses bauxite. Aluminium is light, resists corrosion and conducts well — used in aircraft, utensils and wires.
Fast growing — inorganic (acids, alkalis, soda ash) and organic (petrochemicals, plastics, drugs). Contributes ~3% of GDP.
Makes nitrogenous (urea), phosphatic and complex fertilisers. Located near petroleum refineries which supply raw material.
Trucks, cars, buses, two- and three-wheelers. Located near markets — Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru.
Bengaluru is the "electronic capital" / Silicon Valley of India. Software Technology Parks generate huge employment and exports.
Weight-losing raw materials pull industries close to their source (e.g., steel near coal & ore).
Availability of cheap, skilled labour and a regular power supply is essential.
Good roads, rail, ports and access to markets keep costs low and demand steady.
Cities provide capital, banking, insurance and financial services that industries need.
Caused by smoke and gases (sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide) and dust from factories — harmful to human health.
Organic and inorganic effluents from dyeing, tanning, paper and chemical industries dumped into rivers.
Hot water from factories and power plants released into rivers and ponds harms aquatic life.
Solid waste (fly ash, slag, phosphogypsum) degrades land; machinery, generators and equipment cause noise pollution.
Reduce water use, reuse and recycle it in two or more stages, and harvest rainwater to meet demand.
Treat hot water and effluents (primary, secondary and tertiary treatment) before discharging into rivers.
Use scrubbers, filters and electrostatic precipitators in chimneys to reduce smoke and particulate pollution.
The National Thermal Power Corporation is a leading example of a power producer committed to environment protection.