Industries

Industry in India
Though agriculture has been the main preoccupation of the bulk of the Indian population, the founding fathers saw India becoming a prosperous and Modem State with a good industrial base. Programs .. were formulated to build an adequate infrastructure for rapid industrialization. Since independence, India has achieved a good measure of self-sufficiency in manufacturing a variety of basic and capital goods. The output of the major industries includes aircraft, ships, cars, locomotives, heavy electrical machinery, construction equipment, power generation and transmission equipment, chemicals, precision instruments, communication equipment and computers. Early planners in free India had to keep in mind two aims: all-round development and generation of large-scale job opportunities. Economic development strategies were evolved with an eye on these twin objectives.
Key Industries
Steel: The iron and steel industry in India is over 122 years old. However, a concerted effort to increase the steel output was made only in the early years of planning. Three integrated steel plants were set• up at Bhilai, Durgapur and Rourkela. Later two more steel plants, at Bokaro and Vishakhapatnam, were set up. Private sector plants, of which the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) is the biggest, have been allowed to raise their capacity. The Steel Authority of India (SAIL), which manages the public sector plants, has undertaken a Rs. 40,500 crore program to modernize them. TISCO and a large number of mini steel plants in the couu.try contribute about 40% of the steel production in the country. The Government has given a push to sponge iron plants to meet the secondary sector's requirement of steel scrap.
Engineering and Machine Tools: Among the Third World countries, India is a major exporter of heavy and light engineering goods, producing a wide range of items. The bulk of capital goods required for power projects, fertilizer, cement, steel and petrochemical plants and mining equipment are made in India. The country also makes construction machinery, equipment for irrigation projects, diesel engines, tractors, transport vehicles, cotton textile and sugar mill machinery. The engineering industry has shown its capacity to manufacture large-size plants and equipment for various sectors like power, fertilizer and cement. Lately, air pollution control equipment is also being made in the country. The heavy electrical industry meets the entire domestic demand.
Electronics: The electronics industry in India has made rapid strides in recent years. The country produces electronics items worth over Rs. 200 billion annually. Exports are also rising; in 1995-96 they reached Rs. 4.5 billion. Some of the major items manufactured in India are computers, communication equipment, broadcasting and strategic electronics, television sets, microwave ovens and washing machines.
The compound growth of the computer industry has been 50% during the last five
years. Almost the entire demand for floppy disk drives, dot matrix printers, CRT terminals, keyboards, line printers and plotters is met from indigenous production. With the availability of trained technical manpower, computers have been identified as a major thrust area. Special emphasis has been given to software export.
The Indian software industry has developed skill and expertise in areas like design and implementation of management information and decision support systems, banking, insurance and financial applications, artificial intelligence and fifth generation systems.
Recognition for the Indian computer software industry has been global. Indian software enterprises have completed projects for reputed international organizations in 43 countries.
Textiles: Textiles, the largest industry in the country employing about 20 million people, account for one third of India’s total exports. During 1995-96, textile exports were estimated at Rs. 35,504,6 crore which was 13.3% more than the 1994-95 figure. In recent years, several controls have been removed and in October 1996, a new long-term Quota policy was announced to boost exports over the next three years, till 1999.
Public Sector: The public sector contributed to the initial development of infrastructure and diversification of industrial base. It is now being exposed to competition. Part equity of some units is being disinvested. But many core and strategic areas, important for economy and self-reliance, will remain in the public sector.
Research and Development
Research and Development activities are supported by the governments at the Center and the states as well as by public and private sector undertakings. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research recognizes over 1200 in-house R & D units. About 200 research laboratories exist in government departments and agencies. The benefits of the R & D works are reaching various fields like industry, agriculture and commerce.
Traditional Industry :
Indian handicrafts have withstood competition from machines over the years. The skills are passed on. from one generation to the next. The handicraft and handloom sector is a major source of rural employment and earns substantial foreign exchange. Traditional textiles are as popular abroad as they are within the country. The major export items include hand-knotted carpets, art metal ware, hand-printed textiles and leather, wood and cane wares.