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• Colonial Exploitation: Industrial nations exploited colonies for raw materials and
markets.
Industrialization in India
Now, let’s shift the lens to India. While Britain was booming with machines, India’s story
was different.
1. Impact of British Rule
• Before colonization, India was famous for its textiles (Muslin of Dhaka, Kashmiri
shawls).
• But British policies destroyed local industries. Indian weavers were forced to buy
British cloth, and raw cotton was exported to Britain.
• India became a supplier of raw materials and a market for British goods.
2. Early Industrialization in India
Despite colonial exploitation, some industries did emerge in India:
• Textiles: The first modern textile mill was set up in Bombay in 1854.
• Jute Industry: Grew in Bengal, supplying sacks and ropes.
• Iron and Steel: Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) was founded in 1907 in
Jamshedpur.
• Railways: Introduced in 1853, they connected markets and boosted trade.
3. Post-Independence Industrialization
After 1947, India focused on self-reliance:
• Five-Year Plans: Emphasized heavy industries, dams, and power projects.
• Public Sector Enterprises: Steel plants, machine tools, and defense industries.
• Green Revolution: Though agricultural, it supported industrial growth (fertilizers,
machinery).
• Liberalization (1991): Opened doors to private and foreign investment, leading to IT,
automobile, and telecom industries.
Diagram: Comparing Industrial Revolution and Indian Industrialization
INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Britain) INDUSTRIALIZATION (India)
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Period 1760–1840 1850 onwards (colonial + post-independence)
Focus Machines, factories, steam power Textiles, jute, steel, railways
Impact Economic boom, urbanization Colonial exploitation, later self-reliance
Outcome Britain = "Workshop of the World" India = Emerging industrial economy
Why This Matters
The Industrial Revolution changed the global balance of power. Britain and other European
nations became industrial giants, while colonies like India were pushed into dependency.