Question

Where and when was the first modern jute mill established in India?

Answer 1

Hint: Bengal was one of the important economic strongholds of the British in India. As traders, they gave impetus to the development of industries in the region. Besides this, the region was also famous for its production of jute.

Complete Step by Step answer: Let us consider the natural properties of jute and the reasons behind its commercial success in India.
Jute is a natural fibre that is used to make gunny bags and rope. India is also the world’s largest exporter of jute.
With the advent of industrialization in the nineteenth century in Europe, there was a shift in the way jute was processed. Machines replaced manual processing of jute. This was possible due to the discovery that whale oil enhanced the processing of jute. This led to the rise of the first jute mill at Dundee in Scotland.
The development of jute mills in India followed a similar pattern. Jute cultivation was concentrated in the region of undivided Bengal. The British started trading in jute which led to the development of jute processing mills in the region.
The first jute mill was set up in India in 1855 in a place called Rishra in Bengal. It was set up as a collaboration between George Acland and Babu Bysumber Sen.
George Acland was a noted British entrepreneur. He was assisted by personnel from the Dundee Mill, which provided him with the necessary insights to facilitate the management of a successful mill.
Therefore, the first modern jute mill was set up in Rishra in 1855.

Note: Indian industries gained prominence in the 1850s. Jute mills in the Bengal Presidency opened in tandem with cotton processing mills in the Bombay Presidency.