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Notes on Distribution of Major Industries

Iron and steel, textiles, jute, sugar, cement, paper, petrochemicals, automobiles, information technology (IT), and banking and insurance are the primary businesses in India's economy.

The Iron and Steel industry, the Textile industry, and the Information and Technology sector are the three primary industries.

While information technology is a new industry, iron and steel, as well as textiles, are ancient businesses that have played a significant part in Indian industrialization. Industrialization is the driving force behind the development and expansion of towns and cities.

Germany, the United States, China, Japan, and Russia all have a stronghold on the iron and steel sector. In India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, the textile industry is concentrated. The Silicon Valley of Central California and the Bangalore region of India are the two major centers of the information technology industry.

Iron and Steel Industry

These are industries that serve as a source of raw materials for other sectors.

This industry’s output is used as a raw material by other industries.

Raw materials such as iron ore, coal, and limestone, as well as labor, capital, location, and other infrastructure, are all inputs for the industry. Smelting and refining are two steps in the process of turning iron ore into steel. Steel (commonly referred to as the “backbone of contemporary industry”) is the end product, which is a basic material required by all other industries.

The Iron and Steel sector has taken advantage of inexpensive labor, raw materials, and a ready market in a growing country like India.

All of the major steel-producing cities, including Bhilai, Durgapur, Burnpur, Jamshedpur, Rourkela, and Bokaro, are located over four states: West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh.

Other notable steel centers using local resources include Bhadravati and Vijay Nagar in Karnataka, Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Salem in Tamil Nadu.

India’s rapid industrial development was aided by the development of the iron and steel sector.

Cotton and Textile Industry

Weaving yarn into cloth is a centuries-old craft. Cloth has been made from cotton, wool, silk, jute, and flax.

Fibres are the raw material utilised in the textile industry, and textile industries are classified according to the raw materials used.

Natural or synthetic fibres can be used. Wool, silk, cotton, linen, and jute are examples of natural fibres. Nylon, polyester, acrylic, and rayon are examples of man-made fibres.

Cotton textile manufacturing is one of the world’s oldest industries.

Muslins from Dhaka, Chintses of Masulipatnam, Calicos from Calicut, and Gold-wrought cotton from Burhanpur, Surat, and Vadodara are some of the most well-known and sought-after fibres in the world.

The first successful mechanised textile mill was founded in Mumbai in 1854, following the industrial revolution. The region’s industry grew quickly due to the warm, humid climate, a port for importing machinery, the abundance of raw materials, and skilled labour.

Information and Technology Industries

The storage, processing, and delivery of information are all part of the information technology business.

In a decade, the business has grown worldwide due to a sequence of technological, political, and socioeconomic changes.

The availability of resources, cost, and infrastructure are the primary determinants of where these industries are located.

Apart from Bengaluru, there are other rising information technology clusters in India’s major cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, and Chennai. Other key centres of the IT sector include Gurgaon, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, and Chandigarh.

Classification of Industries

Raw resources, scale, and ownership can all be used to classify industries.

1.Raw Material – Industries are classified according to the sort of raw material they use. Plant and animal-based goods, for example, are used as raw materials in agro-based enterprises. Marine-based industries use sea and ocean products as raw resources, among other things.

Industries are categorised according to the amount of capital invested, the number of people employed, and the volume of production. Industries are divided into two categories 

2.Based on their size: small scale and large scale. Automobile and heavy machinery manufacturing, for example, are large-scale industries. They generate huge volumes of products, invest more money, and use more advanced technology, whereas cottage and household industries are small-scale enterprises that manufacture things by hand and utilise less capital and technology.

3.Based on ownership, industries can be split into the private sector, which is owned and operated by individuals or a group of persons, and the public sector, which is owned and operated by corporations.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Steel Authority of India are examples of public sector or state-owned companies that are owned and operated by the government (SAIL).

Cooperative sector – owned and operated by producers or suppliers of raw materials, workers, or both. Joint sector – owned and operated by the state and individuals or a group of individuals, for example, Maruti Udyog Limited. Amul India and IFFCO Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperatives are two examples.

Industrial System

1.An industrial system is made up of inputs, processes, and outputs.

2.Inputs include raw materials, labour, and land, as well as transportation, power, and other infrastructure expenditures.

3.The procedures include a number of steps that transform raw resources into finished goods.

4.The outputs are the final product and the revenue earned.

Industrial Region or Industrial Cluster

When a number of industries cluster together and enjoy the benefits of their proximity, industrial areas form.The following are India’s major industrial clusters or regions:

Mumbai-Pune cluster, Bangalore-Tamil Nadu region, Hugli area, Ahmedabad-Baroda region, Chota Nagpur industrial belt, Vishakhapatnam-Guntur belt, Gurgaon-Delhi-Meerut region, Ahmedabad-Baroda region,  

The industrial cluster of Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram

Conclusion

During the Five Year Plans, India’s industries achieved enormous strides. There has been a quick increase in industrial output, a significant expansion in fundamental and important sectors, and a significant increase in mineral and energy resources.

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