6. MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES
1. WHAT IS MANUFACTURING?
Manufacturing means the production of goods in large quantities
after processing raw materials into more valuable finished products.
- Example: wood → paper, sugarcane → sugar, iron ore → iron & steel, bauxite → aluminium, yarn → cloth.
- People employed in these activities (secondary
sector) are called industrial workers — e.g., workers in steel factories,
breweries, textile mills, bakeries.
- The economic strength of a country is measured
by the development of its manufacturing industries.
2. IMPORTANCE OF MANUFACTURING (Backbone of Development)
Manufacturing is considered
the backbone of economic development because:
- Modernises agriculture – reduces dependence on agricultural income
by creating jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors.
- Removes unemployment and poverty – this was the philosophy behind public
sector and joint sector industries; it also helps reduce regional
disparities by setting up industries in tribal and backward areas.
- Expands trade and commerce – export of manufactured goods earns valuable
foreign exchange.
- Brings prosperity – countries that convert raw materials into a
variety of finished goods of higher value become prosperous. India's
prosperity lies in diversifying its manufacturing base.
Agriculture and Industry —
interdependence:
- Agro-industries boost agricultural
productivity by supplying irrigation pumps, fertilisers, insecticides,
pesticides, PVC pipes, tools, etc.
- In turn, industry depends on agriculture for
raw material (cotton, sugarcane, jute, etc.)
- In the age of globalisation, Indian goods must
match international quality to compete globally — self-sufficiency alone
is not enough.
3. CLASSIFICATION OF INDUSTRIES
Industries are classified on
five bases:
(a) On the basis of Source of Raw Material
|
Type |
Examples |
|
Agro-based |
Cotton, woollen, jute, silk
textiles, rubber, sugar, tea, coffee, edible oil |
|
Mineral-based |
Iron & steel, cement,
aluminium, machine tools, petrochemicals |
(b) On the basis of Main Role
- Basic/Key industries: Supply raw material to manufacture other
goods. E.g. iron & steel, copper smelting, aluminium smelting.
- Consumer industries: Produce goods for direct consumer use. E.g.
sugar, toothpaste, paper, sewing machines, fans.
(c) On the basis of Capital Investment
- Small-scale industry: defined by the maximum investment allowed on
assets (currently ₹1 crore).
- Large-scale industry: investment exceeds this limit.
(d) On the basis of Ownership
|
Type |
Meaning |
Example |
|
Public sector |
Owned & operated by
government |
BHEL, SAIL |
|
Private sector |
Owned by individual(s) |
TISCO, Bajaj Auto Ltd.,
Dabur |
|
Joint sector |
Jointly run by state +
individuals |
Oil India Ltd. (OIL) |
|
Cooperative sector |
Owned by producers/suppliers
of raw material, who pool resources and share profit/loss |
Sugar industry
(Maharashtra), Coir industry (Kerala) |
(e) On the basis of Bulk & Weight of Raw Material/Finished Goods
- Heavy industries: e.g., iron and steel
- Light industries: use light raw material, produce light goods,
e.g., electrical goods industry
4. AGRO-BASED INDUSTRIES
(A) TEXTILE INDUSTRY
- Occupies a unique position —
contributes to industrial production, employment, and foreign exchange.
- Only industry self-reliant and complete in
value chain: raw material → highest value-added product.
Value chain (Fig. 6.1): Fibre Production → Spinning → Weaving/Knitting → Dyeing & Finishing → Garment Manufacture (Raw fibre → Yarn → Fabric → Garments)
Cotton Textiles
- Ancient India: hand spinning + handloom
weaving.
- After 18th century: power-looms came into use.
- Colonial setback: could not compete with mill-made
cloth from Britain.
- First successful textile mill: Mumbai, 1854.
- World Wars boosted demand for cloth from
Britain → boosted Indian cotton textile industry.
- Location factors: raw cotton, market, transport (ports),
labour, moist climate → led to concentration in Maharashtra and Gujarat.
- Close linkages with agriculture: farmers,
cotton-boll pluckers, ginners, spinners, weavers, dyers, designers,
packers.
- Supports other industries: chemicals &
dyes, packaging, engineering.
- Spinning is centralised (Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu); Weaving
is decentralised — allows traditional skills (zari, embroidery) to
flourish. India has world-class spinning but weaving output is often lower
quality since high-grade yarn is exported/underused domestically.
- Weaving is done via handloom, powerloom, and
mills.
- Khadi (handspun) provides large-scale cottage employment.
Jute Textiles
- India is the largest producer of raw
jute; 2nd largest exporter (after Bangladesh).
- Most mills located in West Bengal,
along the river Hugli.
- First jute mill: near Kolkata, 1855, at
Rishra.
- After Partition (1947): mills stayed in India,
but 3/4th of jute-growing area went to (East) Pakistan/Bangladesh.
- Location factors in Hugli basin: proximity to jute-growing areas, cheap water
transport, good rail/road network, abundant water for processing, cheap
labour (Bihar, Odisha, UP), Kolkata's banking/insurance/port facilities.
(B) SUGAR INDUSTRY
- India: 2nd largest producer of sugar
(world); 1st in gur and khandsari.
- Raw material (sugarcane) is bulky, and
its sucrose content reduces during transport → mills located close to cane fields.
- Major states: UP, Bihar, Maharashtra,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana, MP.
- 60% of mills are in UP and Bihar.
- Seasonal industry → ideally suited to cooperative sector
(workers/farmers share profits during the crushing season only).
- Recent shift towards south & west (esp.
Maharashtra) because:
- Cane there has higher
sucrose content.
- Cooler climate → longer crushing season.
- Cooperatives are more
successful there.
5. MINERAL-BASED INDUSTRIES
(A) IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRY
- Called the basic industry — all other
industries (heavy, medium, light) depend on it for machinery.
- Used for engineering goods, construction,
defence, medical & scientific equipment, consumer goods.
- Heavy industry: raw material and finished goods are bulky → high transport cost.
- Raw material ratio: Iron ore : Coking coal : Limestone ≈ 4 :
2 : 1 (manganese also added to harden steel).
Manufacturing Process (Fig.
6.2):
- Transport raw material to plant
- Blast furnace: iron ore is melted; limestone (fluxing
agent) added; slag removed; coke burnt to heat ore.
- Pig Iron: molten material poured into moulds
("pigs")
- Steel Making: pig iron purified by melting & oxidising
impurities; manganese, nickel, chromium added.
- Shaping Metal: rolling, pressing, casting, forging.
- Maximum concentration: Chhotanagpur Plateau region — due to low
cost of iron ore, high-grade raw material in proximity, cheap labour, and
large domestic market potential.
- Major plants: Bhilai, Durgapur, Rourkela,
Bokaro, Jamshedpur, Burnpur, Vishakhapatnam, Vijaynagar, Bhadravati,
Salem.
(B) ALUMINIUM SMELTING
- 2nd most important metallurgical industry in India.
- Properties: light, corrosion-resistant, good
conductor of heat, malleable, becomes strong when alloyed.
- Uses: aircraft, utensils, wires — substitute
for steel, copper, zinc, lead.
- Raw material: Bauxite — bulky, dark reddish rock. Ratio: 4–6
tonnes bauxite → 2 tonnes alumina → 1 tonne aluminium.
- Location factors: regular electricity supply + cheap, assured
raw material.
- Located in: Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, UP,
Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.
(C) CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
- Fast growing & diversifying; includes both
large & small-scale units.
Inorganic chemicals: sulphuric acid (fertilisers, synthetic fibres,
plastics, dyes), nitric acid, alkalies, soda ash (glass, soap, detergent,
paper), caustic soda — widely spread across the country (since these are basic
industrial inputs needed everywhere).
Organic chemicals: petrochemicals — used for synthetic fibres,
synthetic rubber, plastics, dyes, drugs, pharmaceuticals. Plants located near
oil refineries/petrochemical complexes (as petroleum is the raw material).
- The chemical industry is its own largest
consumer (basic chemicals are processed further into other chemicals).
(D) FERTILIZER INDUSTRY
- Produces: nitrogenous fertilisers (mainly urea),
phosphatic fertilisers, DAP (ammonium phosphate), and complex
fertilisers (N-P-K combination).
- Potash is entirely imported — India has no reserves
of usable potash.
- After the Green Revolution, industry
expanded across the country.
- Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, UP, Punjab, Kerala → contribute ~half of production.
- Other producers: AP, Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar,
Maharashtra, Assam, WB, Goa, Delhi, MP, Karnataka.
(E) CEMENT INDUSTRY
- Essential for construction: houses, factories,
bridges, roads, airports, dams.
- Raw materials: bulky — limestone, silica, gypsum; also
needs coal, electric power, and rail transport.
- First plant: Chennai, 1904; industry
expanded after Independence.
- Plants strategically located in Gujarat
for easy export access to Gulf countries.
6. OTHER IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES
(A) AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRY
- Provides vehicles for transport of goods and
passengers: trucks, buses, cars, motorcycles, scooters, three-wheelers,
multi-utility vehicles.
- After liberalisation: new/contemporary models stimulated demand → healthy growth.
- Located around: Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Pune,
Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Bengaluru.
(B) INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY
- Electronics industry: transistors, television,
telephones, cellular telecom, telephone exchange, radars, computers,
telecommunication equipment.
- Bengaluru = "Electronic Capital of India."
- Other centres: Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune,
Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Coimbatore.
- Major concentration: Bengaluru, Noida, Mumbai,
Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune.
- Major impact: employment generation;
growth in hardware + software = key to IT industry's success.
7. INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Industries cause four types
of pollution: Air, Water, Land (Soil), Noise. (Thermal power plants are
also polluting industries.)
(a) Air Pollution
- Caused by high proportion of undesirable gases
(sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide) and airborne particulate matter (dust,
mist, smoke).
- Emitted by: chemical & paper factories,
brick kilns, refineries, smelting plants, burning of fossil fuels.
- Toxic gas leaks can be hazardous long-term
(e.g., Bhopal Gas Tragedy).
- Effects: harms human health, animals, plants,
buildings, and atmosphere.
(b) Water Pollution
- Caused by organic & inorganic industrial
wastes discharged into rivers.
- Main culprits: paper, pulp, chemical, textile
& dyeing, petroleum refineries, tanneries, electroplating industries —
release dyes, detergents, acids, salts, heavy metals (lead, mercury),
pesticides, plastics, rubber.
- Major solid wastes: fly ash, phospho-gypsum,
iron & steel slags.
(c) Thermal Pollution
- Occurs when hot water from
factories/thermal plants is drained into rivers/ponds without cooling
— harms aquatic life.
(d) Land/Soil Pollution
- Caused by dumping of glass, harmful chemicals,
industrial effluents, packaging, salts, garbage — makes soil useless.
- Rainwater carries pollutants into the ground,
contaminating groundwater too (soil and water pollution are closely
linked).
- Wastes from nuclear plants/weapon production → cause cancers, birth defects, miscarriages.
(e) Noise Pollution
- Causes irritation, anger, hearing impairment,
increased heart rate & blood pressure.
- Sources: industrial/construction activity,
machinery, factory equipment, generators, saws, pneumatic/electric drills.
8. CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION
Key fact: Every litre of waste water discharged by industry
pollutes 8 times the quantity of freshwater.
To reduce water pollution:
- Minimise water use — reuse & recycle in
two or more successive stages.
- Harvest rainwater to meet water requirements.
- Treat hot water & effluents before
releasing into rivers/ponds.
Effluent treatment — three
phases:
- Primary treatment (mechanical): screening, grinding,
flocculation, sedimentation.
- Secondary treatment: by biological process.
- Tertiary treatment: biological, chemical & physical
processes — includes recycling wastewater.
Other measures:
- Legal regulation of groundwater overdrawing.
- Air pollution control: fit smoke stacks with electrostatic
precipitators, fabric filters, scrubbers, inertial separators; use oil/gas
instead of coal.
- Noise pollution control: redesign machinery for efficiency, fit
generators with silencers, use noise-absorbing material, use
earplugs/earphones.
NTPC Model (example of good practice):
- ISO certified for EMS (Environment
Management System) 14001.
- Measures: optimum use of equipment with latest
technology, minimising waste via ash utilisation, green belts for
ecological balance, ash pond management & liquid waste management,
ecological monitoring at all power stations.
Conclusion: Sustainable development requires integrating
economic development with environmental concerns.
********
EXERCISE ANSWERS
1. Multiple Choice Questions
(i) Which industry uses bauxite as a raw material?
Answer: (a) Aluminium Smelting
(ii) Which industry manufactures telephones, computers,
etc.?
Answer: (b) Electronic
2. Answer briefly (not more than 30 words)
(i) What is manufacturing? Manufacturing is the production of goods in large
quantities after processing raw materials into more valuable finished products,
e.g., paper from wood, sugar from sugarcane, iron & steel from iron ore.
(ii) What are basic
industries? Give an example. Basic (or key) industries supply their products as raw material to
manufacture other goods. Example: the iron and steel industry, which provides
raw material for machinery and other industries.
3. Answer in about 120 words
(i) How do industries pollute
the environment? Industries cause four types
of pollution. Air pollution occurs due to gases like sulphur dioxide and
carbon monoxide, and smoke released by chemical, paper factories, brick kilns,
refineries, and smelting plants; toxic gas leaks (like the Bhopal Gas Tragedy)
can be hazardous. Water pollution is caused by organic and inorganic
wastes from paper, chemical, textile, tannery, and electroplating industries,
which release dyes, acids, heavy metals, and pesticides into rivers. Thermal
pollution occurs when hot water from factories is released into water
bodies without cooling, harming aquatic life. Land/soil pollution
results from dumping of glass, chemicals, and industrial effluents, which also
contaminate groundwater. Noise pollution from machinery, generators, and
drills causes irritation, hearing loss, and increased blood pressure.
(ii) Discuss the steps to be
taken to minimise environmental degradation by industry. To reduce water pollution: minimise water
use by reusing and recycling it in successive stages, harvest rainwater, and
treat effluents before release — through primary treatment (mechanical:
screening, sedimentation), secondary treatment (biological), and tertiary
treatment (biological, chemical, physical, including recycling wastewater).
Overdrawing of groundwater should be legally regulated. To reduce air
pollution: fit factories with electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters,
scrubbers and inertial separators, and use oil or gas instead of coal. To
reduce noise pollution: redesign machinery for energy efficiency, fit
generators with silencers, and use earplugs/earphones. Overall, sustainable
development requires integrating economic growth with environmental protection.
Activity: One-word answers
|
Clue |
Answer |
|
(i) Used to drive machinery
(5) |
POWER |
|
(ii) People who work in a
factory (6) |
WORKER |
|
(iii) Where the product is
sold (6) |
MARKET |
|
(iv) A person who sells
goods (8) |
RETAILER |
|
(v) Thing produced (7) |
PRODUCT |
|
(vi) To make or produce (11) |
MANUFACTURE |
|
(vii) Land, Water and Air
degraded (9) |
POLLUTION |
Activity: Word Puzzle Answers
- Textiles, sugar, vegetable oil, plantation
industries deriving raw material from agriculture are called: AGRO-BASED
(industries)
- The basic raw material for sugar industry: SUGARCANE
- This fibre is also known as the 'Golden
Fibre': JUTE
- Iron-ore, coking coal, and limestone are the
chief raw materials of this industry: IRON AND STEEL
- A public sector steel plant located in
Chhattisgarh: BHILAI
- Railway diesel engines are manufactured in
Uttar Pradesh at this place: VARANASI
Project Work (Guidance)
Select one agro-based (e.g.,
cotton/sugar mill) and one mineral-based (e.g., cement/steel unit) industry in
your local area and note:
- Raw materials used and their source
- Other inputs requiring transport (coal, water,
labour, packaging material)
- Whether environmental norms (effluent
treatment, smoke control, waste disposal) are being followed
(This is a field-based
activity — answers will vary by student/location.)
**********