Question

Which was the first state in South India to establish an iron and steel factory?
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Kerala
C. Karnataka
D. Andhra Pradesh

Answer 1

Hint: All the industries depend on the Iron and steel industry for it is the basic industry and other industries regardless of light, medium or heavy industries have to depend on it for their machinery. Steel is needed to manufacture a variety of goods such as telephone, defense, construction material, etc.

Complete step-by-step solution:
The state to occupy the first position all over South India to establish an iron and steel factory in Karnataka. The foresight of Sir M. Visveswaraiahs enabled an iron and steel industry to be set up at Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district in 1923. Presently it is known as Visvesvaraya Iron and Steel Industry (VISL). The private sector owned Jindal Vijayanagar Steel limited is another important iron and steel industry which was established in 2001 at Toranagallu in Ballari district using the latest Corex technology.
The production and consumption of steel are often regarded as indicators of a country’s development. Through the Steel Authority of India Ltd. (SAIL), most of the public sector undertakings market their steel. China is the world’s largest producer of steel and it is also the world’s largest consumer of steel. The maximum concentration of Iron and Steel industries in India is in the Chota Nagpur plateau region. We are not able to perform to our fullest potentials, although India is an important Iron and Steel producing country in the world.

Thus, option (C) is correct.

Note: Foreign Direct Investment and Liberalization have given a boost to the industry with the efforts of private entrepreneurs. To produce steel more competitively, there is a need to allocate resources for research and development.