Although India is relatively new in terms of modern industry, its industrial history dates back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. India's pre-modern industry is said to have been at its peak during the Gupta Empire.
The advent of Islamic rulers in the country had enriched the industry further. The Europeans had established factories in different parts of India, especially along the Hooghly River. However, the advent of the British Raj caused huge losses to India's local industry, as the people were buying cheaper products from British factories. There were attempts to revive the local industry as part of the Indian independence movement, which resulted to their prosperity after the country's independence. After a balance-of-payments crisis in 1991, the country adopted free-market reforms which have continued at a steady pace ever since, fueling strong growth. The IT, Business Process Outsourcing and other industries have been the drivers for the growth.
Destinations
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Eastern India
[edit]- 1 Asansol, West Bengal. A major centre of both steel industry and coal mining in West Bengal.
- 2 Bhilai, Chhattisgarh.
- 3 Bokaro Steel City, Jharkhand.
- 4 Durgapur, West Bengal. Known as the "Ruhr of India", Durgapur is home to the Durgapur Steel Plant, the largest industrial unit in West Bengal.
- 5 Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. Named after the industrialist Jamsetji Tata, Jamshedpur is home to industrial giants like Tata Steel and Tata Motors.
- 6 Kolkata (Calcutta), West Bengal. Once home to a flourishing manufacturing belt, Kolkata was a major industrial centre for the manufacture of agricultural and industrial products with numerous cotton-processing companies. However, Kolkata experienced a steady economic decline in the decades following India's independence due to steep population increase and a rise in militant trade-unionism. From the 1960s to the late 1990s, several factories were closed and businesses relocated. Despite this, the city's fortunes have looked up since the early 1990s and it is fast developing into a modern infotech city, with the development of satellite towns like Bidhannagar (Salt Lake City) and New Town.
- 7 Uttarpara, West Bengal. Once a leading automobile manufacturing hub, Uttarpara is home to Hind Motor, which manufactured some of the iconic car models of India.
Plains
[edit]- 8 Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Once known as the "Manchester of India", Kanpur is a major industrial centre in Northern India. The city is famous for its chemical (fertiliser, detergent), textile and leather industries.
Southern India
[edit]- 9 Bangalore (Bengaluru), Karnataka. Known as the "IT capital of India".
- 10 Chennai (Madras), Tamil Nadu. Known as the "Detroit of India", with numerous automobile factories.
- 11 Hyderabad, Telangana. Another major centre of IT industry in Southern India.
Western India
[edit]- 12 Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Known as the "Manchester of India", with numerous textile factories.
- 13 Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra. The British-built port city once attracted industries, and the entrepreneurial communities like the Parsis, Gujaratis and Marwaris migrated and set up trading companies and factories in the late 19th century. Industries attracted migrant labour from different parts of India. However, high labour costs and unrest in the 1980s forced the closure of many textile mills and the city went into a decline from which it started recovering only in the late 1990s. Despite this, Mumbai has now reinvented itself as a hub for the service industry.