Test: Manufacturing Industries - UPSC MCQ

Mumbai is the hub of petrochemical industry.

It is a by-product of petroleum received after petroleum refining. Oil and natural gas are the major raw materials used to manufacture plastics. The plastics production process often begins by treating components of crude oil or natural gas in a "cracking process." This process results in the conversion of these components into hydrocarbon monomers such as ethylene and propylene.

India is known as the original home of sugar and sugarcane. It is the second largest producer of sugarcane next to Brazil. Also, India is the single largest producer of sugar including traditional cane sugar sweeteners, khandsari and gur equivalent to 26 million tonnes raw value. Even in respect of white crystal sugar, India has ranked number one in 7 out of last 10 years.

Cotton textile is a most important agro-based industry. It is one of the oldest and traditional industry of India. Though Britishers did not enourage its development, after independence it eventually flourished.

India was the 2nd largest producer of sugar and Brazil was the leading producer in 2013-14. India’s share in the world production of sugar was 15.39 percent in 2013-14.

Iron and Steel industry provides employment to a large population.

ln 1854, the Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company was the first cotton mill to be set up. A boom in the textile industry was followed by setting up of 10 cotton mills in Mumbai by 1865. The main reasons for this was easy availability of raw material, capital port facilities etc.

Tata Iron and Steel Company was established by Dorabji Tata on August 25, 1907. It was the 12th largest steel producing company in the world in 2012, with an annual crude steel capacity of 23.8 million tones. Tata Steel has manufacturing operations in 26 countries, and employs around 80,500 people.

Sugar industry is the second most important agro-based industry in the country. India is the largest producer of both sugarcane and sugar. The first mill was established in 1903 in Bihar.