In this chapter, we are going to gather
some information about industry and trade
in India in the post-independence period.
After India became independent, the
Industrial Finance Corporation of India
was established in 1948 with the purpose
of making available long term loans to
industrial projects. Similarly the Industrial
Development Corporation was established
in 1954 in order to bring about greater
development of the industrial sector.
Some industries in India
Textile industry : The textile industry
forms 14% of the total industrial
production.
It includes the powerloom and the
handloom industries. The handloom
industries are labour intensive. According
to the ‘Textile Committee Act 1963’, a
Textile Committee has been established.
This committee sets the quality standards
for textiles manufactured for sale in the
internal market as well as for export.
Silk industry : This industry functions
under the Ministry of Textiles. The
research about the species of the silkworm
and mulberry trees is done in the Seribiotic
Research Laboratory at Bengaluru. This
industry is primarily in the States of
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal
and Jammu and Kashmir. Now it is being
spread in States with predominantly tribal
populations.
Jute industry : India is the top
ranking country in jute production. India
is a major exporter of jute products. We
get cloth, sack cloth and ropes from jute.
Hand sculpting : This is a labour
intensive craft. Sculptors got employment
due to the capacity of the craft to absorb
more craftsmen, small investment, more
profits, preference to exports and possibility
of earning more foreign exchange. Several
cities have market mechanisms like ‘Dilli
Haat’ which enables the craftsmen from
rural and urban areas to get a market for
their wares.
Automobile industry : India is one
of the major producers of vehicles.
Vehicles are exported to 40 countries from
India.
The automobile industry is called the
‘sunrise sector’ in India. For example,
India’s tractor industry is the biggest in
the world. One-third of the tractors
manufactured world-wide are produced in
India. Tractors manufactured in India are
exported to Turkey, Malaysia and several
countries in Africa.
Cement industry : The role of
cement industry is important in the
development of housing and infrastructure.
This industry is one of the most
technologically advanced. India is currently
an important producer of cement in the
world.Leather industry : It is a big industry
in India. It is primarily export oriented.
Salt industry : India is one of the
top producers of salt in the world. The
annual production of salt in India is 200
lakh tons. The production of iodised salt
is 60 lakh tons.
Bicycle industry : India is a leading
producer of bicycles in the world. Bicycles
are made in the States of Punjab and
Tamil Nadu. The main centre of bicycle
manufacturing in India is Ludhiana. India
exports bicycles to countries like Nigeria,
Mexico, Kenya, Uganda and Brazil.
Khadi and village industry : The
Khadi and Village Industries Commission
was established to give impetus to
industrialisation in rural areas. The main
objectives behind the establishment of the
corporation were to develop the traditional
industries, handicrafts, cottage industries
and to encourage industries that use the
material and human resources available
at the local level and make the villages
self-reliant by creating employment there.
Agriculture : In India, agriculture is
practised using traditional and modern
methods. Many agricultural tasks are
performed using bullocks. Similarly,
machines are being used in different tasks
like ploughing, sowing to harvesting,
threshing, etc.
The major occupation in India is
agriculture and other tasks based on
agriculture. Agriculture and animal
husbandry are practised in villages.
Seventy percent of Indian society depends
upon jobs related to agriculture and
agricultural production. In this industry
the participation of women is equal to
that of men.
Agriculture is practised in different
seasons in India. Many varieties of crops
are grown. Jowar, wheat, rice, pulses and
oilseeds are mainly produced. Along with
it, cotton and sugarcane are processed to
manufacture cloth and sugar respectively.
Agriculture also includes the production
of fruits and vegetables. Nowadays,
industries processing these fruits and
vegetables have come up. Agriculture
fulfills man’s basic needs. In order to
encourage farming, loans are given to
farmers through rural banks and
cooperative institutions. Study visits,
agricultural outdoor trips and farmers’ gettogethers are organised through the
Panchayat Samitis to bring about
improvements in agriculture. Tools and
implements, seeds and fertilisers are also
supplied. The farmers are given training
regarding soil testing, nursery of fruit
plants, pisciculture, poultry, cattle and goat
rearing, dairy farming, etc. Guidance is
given to farmers by a district level training
institute. Financial help is given to build
warehouses for storing the farm produce.
India is rapidly becoming independent
in food grain production and farming
techniques. Modern techniques like drip
irrigation, organic farming are used for
farming.
Policy of the Central Government :
In the fourth five year plan, focus was
placed on paper industry, pharmaceutical
industry, motor-tractor industry, leather
goods, textile industry, food processing
industry, oil, colour, sugar industries, etc.
According to the Industrial Licensing
Policy of 1970, all those factories requiring
an investment of more than 5 crore rupees
were to be included as heavy industries.
The big industrial houses and foreign companies were allowed to invest in
heavy industries that were not reserved
for the public sector. As a result of this
policy, by the end of 1972, 3 lakh 18
thousand small industries were registered
with the government registration office.
Mineral wealth : The availability of
the minerals, iron and coal plays a major
role in the industrial development of the
country. We have adequate stores of iron,
manganese, coal and mineral oil in our
country.
Forest resources : Government has
reserved some forests for the industries
based on forests. The task of conservation
of the forests is done by the central
government, the State government and by
the local people. Forests are necessary for
the raw material for industries like
construction, paper, newsprint, silk,
matchboxes, medicinal herbs, honey,
lacquer and raw material needed for paint.
Fisheries : Fisheries include sea
water fish and fresh water fish found in
rivers, canals, ponds and lakes.
Harbours have been built or old
harbours have been redeveloped, fish seed
incubation centres and fishing industry
training centres have been provided for
the growth of this industry.
Tourism : India has a rich cultural
heritage. There are places of worship of
different religions, pilgrimage centers,
confluences of rivers, forts, caves, etc. all
over our country. Tourists from our
country as well as from abroad travel in
India throughout the year. The facilities
for tourists to stay, travel, etc. are
provided through the Tourism Development
Corporation. Sale of curios and the hotel
industry thrives in tourist places.
In some places, there are guides who
give information to tourists about that
area. Sometimes when vehicles don’t
reach the destination in some remote and
difficult to reach tourist places, the local
people help the tourists in return for a
fee. Employment opportunities are
generated out of these needs.
Import-export or foreign trade :
When planning started in 1951, the import
of industrial goods and raw material
required for production increased, India’s
imports included machines, iron, mineral
oil, fertilisers, medicines, etc.
India also gave impetus to exports
after independence in order to gain
valuable foreign exchange. India’s exports
included tea, coffee, spices, cotton
textiles, leather, footwear, pearls, precious
stones, etc.
Internal trade : India’s internal trade
takes place via railways, waterways,
roads, airways, etc. Ports like Mumbai,
Kolkata, Cochi and Chennai are important.
Commodities like coal, cotton, cotton
textiles, rice, wheat, raw jute, iron, steel,
oilseeds, salt, sugar, etc. are included in
internal trade.
Due to the development of industries,
the standard of life in the country
improves. Many opportunities for
employment become available. On the
whole, it helps in the progress of the
country.
In the next chapter, we shall see how
the life of Indians has been changing
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