Classification and Location of Industries
NCERT Class 8 • Resources and Development • Chapter "Industries" | NCERT Class 10 • Contemporary India II • Chapter "Manufacturing Industries"
Classification and Location of Industries
Manufacturing means turning raw material into a more valuable finished product. Industry is the secondary sector of the economy and is treated as the backbone of development because it creates jobs, raises exports and reduces dependence on farming alone.
How Industries Are Classified
- By source of raw material: agro based like cotton textile, sugar and jute, and mineral based like iron and steel, cement and aluminium.
- By main role: basic or key industries whose products feed other industries, such as iron and steel; and consumer industries making goods for direct use, such as soap and paper.
- By capital investment: small scale and large scale, the limit being fixed by government rules.
- By ownership: public sector run by the state, private sector, joint sector with both, and cooperative sector owned by producers, as in sugar cooperatives of Maharashtra.
- By weight of material: heavy industry like iron and steel, and light industry like electrical goods.
Factors That Decide Location
- Raw material matters most for weight losing industries like sugar and iron and steel, so they sit close to the source.
- Power supply is essential because most modern industry runs on electricity.
- Market access decides location for perishable or bulky finished goods.
- Transport links by rail, road and port lower the cost of both inputs and output.
- Labour availability and skill attract industries such as textile and electronics.
- Capital, water and government policy complete the set; industrial estates and tax concessions can shift the balance.
- Agglomeration matters too: once a few plants gather, banks, repair shops and suppliers follow and attract more.
- Industry and agriculture support each other; farms supply raw material and buy machinery and fertiliser in return.
| Basis | Categories | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Raw material | Agro based, mineral based | Sugar, cement |
| Role | Basic, consumer | Steel, soap |
| Ownership | Public, private, joint, cooperative | Cooperative sugar mills |
| Weight | Heavy, light | Steel, electrical goods |
Weight losing industry — an industry whose finished product weighs much less than its raw material, so it locates near the raw material.
Hindi me samjhein
भार ह्रासी उद्योग वे हैं जिनका तैयार माल कच्चे माल से बहुत हल्का होता है, जैसे चीनी। इसीलिए ये कच्चे माल के पास लगते हैं, ताकि ढुलाई की लागत बचे।
Exam me kaise aata hai
- Iron and steel belongs to which category — basic or key industry
- Sugar and jute are examples of — agro based industry
- Which sector is industry in the economy — secondary
- Cooperative sugar mills are common in — Maharashtra
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Sugar mills locate near cane fields because cane loses sucrose within hours of cutting, so both weight and time govern location.
- With better transport and power grids, footloose industries such as electronics can choose almost any location and are guided mainly by skilled labour.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Manufacturing is a primary activity | Manufacturing is a secondary activity | ✓
✗ Consumer industries supply other industries | Basic industries supply other industries | ✓
✗ Heavy industry means large investment only | Heavy industry refers to heavy raw material and product | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Industry is the secondary sector; manufacturing adds value to raw material.
- Classification by raw material, role, investment, ownership and weight.
- Location depends on raw material, power, market, transport, labour and capital.
- Weight losing industries sit near the raw material.