People Engaged in Secondary Activities

Introduction

Secondary activities increase the value of natural resources by converting raw materials into useful goods. Cotton in the boll has little utility, but it becomes more valuable when turned into yarn and may be used to make clothing. Iron ore cannot be utilised straight from the mines, but it gains value after being transformed into steel and may be used to make a variety of valuable equipment, tools, and other items. The same may be said for most materials from the farm, forest, mine, and sea. Manufacturing, processing, and building (infrastructure) industries focus on secondary activity.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing encompasses a wide range of activities, from handmade crafts to the moulding of steel and the stamping of plastic toys to assembling spacecraft. The use of power, mass manufacturing of similar items, and specialised labour in industrial settings to create standardised commodities are all common aspects in each of these processes. Manufacturing can be done using modern machinery and power, or it can be done in a very basic manner. The majority of Third World nations continue to manufacture in the traditional sense of the word. It is impossible to offer a complete overview of these nations’ manufacturers. More emphasis is placed on the type of “industrial” activity that requires less intricate manufacturing systems. 

Modern Large-Scale Manufacturing Characteristics

The following are the features of modern large-scale manufacturing:

Production Methods/Skills specialisation: The ‘craft’ technique requires manufacturers to make only a few made-to-order components. As a result, the expenses are lofty.

Mechanisation: “mechanisation” directs to using devices to do tasks. Automation (manufacturing without human thought) is the most advanced step of mechanisation. Automated factories with feedback and closed-loop computer command systems have popped up worldwide, allowing machines to ‘think.’ 

Technological Advancement: Technological advances, as a result of an analysis and expansion plan, are a vital part of modern manufacturing for grade rule, waste elimination, and pollution reduction.

Stratification and Organisational Structure: Modern manufacturing is characterised by sophisticated machine technology, 

(i) high specialisation and division of labour to produce more goods with less effort

(ii) reduced costs

(iii) a huge sum of money 

(iv) a large organisation 

(v) an executive bureaucracy

Spatial Geographic Distribution: The fact that India’s population distribution is so unequal implies a strong association between population and geographical, socioeconomic, and historical issues. In terms of physical considerations, it is obvious that climate, together with the topography and water availability, have a significant role in determining population dispersion patterns. As a result, the North Indian Plains, Deltas, and Coastal Plains have a larger population density than the interior districts of southern and central Indian states, the Himalayas, and parts of the northeastern and western states. However, irrigation development (Rajasthan), mineral and energy resource availability (Jharkhand), and transportation network development (Peninsular States) have resulted in moderate to high population concentration in historically sparsely inhabited areas. 

Access to Market: The essential determinant in the placement of secondary activities industries is the availability of a market for manufactured goods. People who require these things and have the purchasing power (ability to buy) from the vendors at a location are referred to as “market.” Small markets can be found in remote places where only a few people live. Because of their great purchasing power, the developed areas of Europe, North America, Japan, and Australia provide enormous worldwide marketplaces.

Access to raw Materials: Industries should employ low-cost, easy-to-transport raw materials. Steel, sugar, and cement businesses, for example, are dependent on inexpensive, bulky, and weight-losing material (ores) and are located near raw material sources. For the industry to be positioned closer to the raw material source, perishability is a critical aspect. Agro-processing and dairy products are processed near agricultural produce and milk supply sources.

Access to labour Supply: Industry location is influenced by the availability of labour. Some industrial processes still need expert labour. Industry’s reliance on labour has decreased as mechanisation, automation, and flexibility of industrial processes have increased.

Access to Energy sources: Industries that consume more energy, such as the aluminium sector, are placed near the energy source. Previously, coal was the primary energy source; however, hydroelectricity and petroleum are now key sources of energy for various businesses.

Transportation and communication facilities are available: For the growth of secondary activities industries, quick and effective transportation infrastructure is required to deliver raw materials to the plant and completed items to the market. The cost of transportation significantly impacts where industrial units are located. Western Europe and eastern North America have well-developed transportation systems, resulting in industrial concentration in these locations. Transportation networks are inextricably linked to modern industry. Transportation improvements have resulted in integrated economic growth and regional industry specialisation.

Classification of Manufacturing Industries

The scale, inputs/raw materials, outputs/products, and ownership of manufacturing industries are all used to classify them.

Size-based Industries

The scale of an industry is determined by the quantity of capital invested, the number of employees employed, and the production volume. As a result, industries may be divided into small-scale, medium-scale, and large-scale.

Cottage Manufacturing or Household Industries 

It is the smallest unit of production. The artisans manufacture daily things in their homes with the support of family members or part-time labour, using local raw materials and modest tools. Finished items may be consumed inside the same home, sold in local (village) marketplaces, or traded. Because this sort of production has limited economic relevance and most of the tools are designed locally, capital and transportation have little effect.

Small Scale Manufacturing 

Small-scale manufacturing differs from household businesses in production processes and location (a workshop outside the producer’s home/cottage). Local raw materials, basic power-driven machinery, and semi-skilled labour are used in this production. It creates jobs and boosts the purchasing power of the local community. As a result, nations such as India, China, Indonesia, and Brazil have established labour-intensive small-scale manufacturing to offer jobs for their citizens.

Large Scale Manufacturing 

A big market, different raw materials, massive energy, specialised labour, modern technology, assembly-line mass production, and large capital are all involved in large-scale manufacturing. This type of manufacturing arose in the United Kingdom, the northeastern United States, and Europe during the previous 200 years. It has now spread to practically every country on the planet.

Conclusion 

The current generation of manufacturing activity is known as high technology, or simply high-tech. It is best defined as rigorous research and development (R and D) activities that produce sophisticated scientific and technical goods. Professional (white-collar) employees account for a sizable portion of the workforce. These highly qualified professionals vastly outnumber the real manufacturing (blue-collar) employees. Assembly-line robotics, computer-aided design (CAD) and manufacturing, electronic controls of smelting and refining processes, and the continuous creation of new chemical and pharmaceutical products are some of the examples of secondary activities in high-tech industries.