Question

Why is the cotton textile industry centered in Maharashtra?

Answer 1

Hint: Cotton is the harvest of tropical and subtropical zones and it requires consistently high temperature changing somewhere in the range of 21 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees celsius. The development of cotton is impeded as the temperature falls beneath 20 degrees celsius. India's first cotton industry was set up in Gloster fort in 1818. Bombay spinning company was the second cotton mill. It was established in 1854. In 1926 India had 334 mills and they were increased by 417 in 1945. The second most developed sector in the textile industry is the cotton industry.

Complete Answer: Maharashtra is producing 407 lakh quintals of cotton in India. There are several reasons for the establishment of the cotton industry in Maharashtra following :
The major reason for the production is related to geomorphology. Availability of Black soil is the major reason for production in Maharashtra. The black soil was formed in the cretaceous period above the Deccan trap. Black soil is found 1400 meters above from igneous rocks in Maharashtra (Deccan trap). Black soil is suitable for cotton production because of the retention power of water. Other major reasons are the availability of cheap labor for the production of cotton, Land availability for the establishment of the factory, greater availability of harbours in Mumbai for exporting the raw material.

Note: India is the largest producer of cotton in the world. 38 percent of the world’s total cotton is produced by India. There are many states which produce cotton in India namely Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, etc.