Question

Describe briefly the history of modern industrial development in India.

Answer 1

Hint: After the period of post-independence in India, many large industries came into being and established a good number of private, public, and joint sectors. India is blessed with many industrial resources and raw materials and thus emerged from many centers during the first one and a half decades of independence.

Complete answer:
Industrialization of medium and small scale started taking up in all the states post-independence. As of today, the main sectors of industrialization include electronics, transport, and telecommunication. About 10 percent of the total workers are engaged in the organized industrial sector. Large scale industries began in the first fifteen years of planning of India. Many modern industries developed during the colonial period particularly with the expansion of railways that connected different cities easily. Along with the availability of railways, there was also the availability of cheap labor and raw materials which was easier to get transported through railways, and as a result, many industries were established. After the 1850s, the markings of new beginnings of modern industrial development began when many cotton mills were established in Mumbai by the Indians and British owned jute mills were also established in the outskirts of Kolkata. Major cities such as Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai were important raw material suppliers and there were also two proper industrial cities such as Kanpur which is known for its wool and leather industry, and Jamshedpur for its steel industries.

Note: However, all these expansions did not bring about any dramatic improvements in the country’s economy due to the discriminatory policies by the Britishers. Many industries flourished post-independence and the introduction of neoliberal policies was able to allow the private sectors to efficiently contribute to industrial development.