Question

Name the city which is called the ‘Lancashire of India’
(A) Mumbai
(B) Chennai
(C) Jaipur
(D) Delhi

Answer 1

Hint Lancashire literally means a mild white cheese with a crumbly texture.

Step by step solution
Mumbai is called the ‘Lancashire of India’. Lancashire is a ceremonial county in North-western England. Preston is the administrative centre while Lancaster is still the county town.
Lancashire in Britain was the first place where spinning and weaving of cotton into fabric began and it was the hub of cotton and textile mills. This place was responsible for half of the world's cotton production.
Similarly, Mumbai is one of the most important cotton manufacturing centers in India. The first cotton mill was started in Mumbai in the year 1851. It is referred to as Lancashire just to show the significance of the city in the textile industry.
Earlier, Mumbai consisted of the present Gujarat and Maharashtra states which are usually considered the cotton belt of India because of their rich black soil. Hence, most of the cotton mills are located in Mumbai and Surat. Mumbai being the gateway of India acts as a trading and export hub.
Mumbai has a lot of similarities with the 19th century Lancashire areas when it comes to promoting wealth in England through heavy manufacturing, trading and commercial activities.

Option A is correct answer

NoteMumbai is the most important cotton manufacturing centre in India. The balck regur soil of the Deccan Plateau produces raw cotton. It has a suitable humid climate and uses modern machinery which favours the production of yarns. There is an abundance of labour supply from all over the country and very cheap power is available from Tata Hydroelectric systems located at Bhivpuri and Khopoli.