Manufacturing Industries: Types, Processes, and Applications

Manufacturing Industries

"The economic strength of a country is measured by the development of manufacturing industries."

1.0Manufacturing

Production of goods in large quantities after processing from raw materials to more valuable products or the conversion of primary products into more refined and usable form is known as manufacturing. People employed in the secondary activities manufacture the primary materials into finished goods. The workers employed in steel factories, car, breweries, textile industries, bakeries etc. fall into this category. Some people are employed in providing services. The economic strength of a country is measured by the development of manufacturing industries.

2.0Importance of manufacturing

Manufacturing sector is considered the backbone of development in general and economic development in particular mainly because-

Manufacturing industries not only help in modernizing agriculture, which forms the backbone of our economy, they also reduce the heavy dependence of people on agricultural income by providing them jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors.
Industrial development is a precondition for eradication of unemployment and poverty from our country. This was the main philosophy behind public sector industries and joint sector ventures in India. It was also aimed at bringing down regional disparities by establishing industries in tribal and backward areas.
Export of manufactured goods expands trade and commerce and brings in much needed foreign exchange.
Countries that transform their raw materials into a wide variety of finished goods of higher value are prosperous. India's prosperity lies in increasing and diversifying its manufacturing industries as quickly as possible.

3.0Contribution of Agriculture to Industry

Agriculture and industry are not exclusive of each other. They move hand in hand - For instance, the agro-industries in India have given a major boost to agriculture by raising its productivity. They depend on the latter for raw materials and sell their products such as irrigation pumps, fertilisers, insecticides, pesticides, plastic and PVC pipes, machines and tools, etc. to the farmers. Thus, development and competitiveness of manufacturing industry has not only assisted agriculturists in increasing their production but also made the production processes very efficient. In the present-day world of globalisation, our industry needs to be more efficient and competitive. Self-sufficiency alone is not enough. Our manufactured goods must be at par in quality with those in the international market. Only then, will we be able to compete in the international market.

4.0Classification of the industries

Industries may be classified as follows

Based on source of raw materials used

-

Agro based: cotton - woollen, jute, silk textile, rubber and sugar, tea, coffee, edible oil.
Mineral based - iron and steel, cement, aluminium, machine tools, petrochemicals.

According to their main role

Basic or key industries - These are those which supply their products as raw materials to manufacture other goods e.g., iron and steel and copper smelting, aluminium smelting.
Consumer industries - Industries that produce goods for direct use by consumers - sugar, toothpaste, paper, sewing machines, fans etc.

Based on capital investment

Small scale industry - maximum investment allowed is rupees one crore.
Large Scale - Industries maximum investment allowed is more than one crore. The limit changes over a period.

Based on ownership

Public sector owned and operated by government agencies - BHEL, SAIL etc.
Private sector industries are owned and operated by individuals or a group of individuals TISCO, Bajaj Auto Ltd., Dabur Industries.
Joint sector industries are jointly run by the state and individuals or a group of individuals. Oil India Ltd. (OIL) is jointly owned by public and private sector.
Cooperative sector: industries are owned and operated by the producers or suppliers of raw materials, workers or both. They pool in the resources and share the profits or losses proportionately. Such examples are the sugar industry in Maharashtra, the coir industry in Kerala.

Based on the bulk and weight of raw material and finished goods

Heavy industries - such as iron and steel
Light industries that use light raw materials and produce light finished goods such as electrical goods industries.

5.0Agro based industries

Cotton, jute, silk, woollen textiles, sugar and edible oil, etc. industries are based on agricultural raw materials.

Textile industry

The textile industry occupies unique position in the Indian economy, because it contributes significantly to industrial production, employment generation and foreign exchange earnings.
It is the only industry in the country, which is self-reliant and complete in the value chain i.e., from raw material to the highest value-added products.
Value addition in the textile industry

Cotton Textile

In the early years, the cotton textile industry was concentrated in the cotton growing belt of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Availability of raw cotton, market, transport including accessible port facilities, labour, moist climate, etc. contributed towards its localisation.
This industry has close links with agriculture and provides a living to farmers, cotton ball pluckers and workers engaged in ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, designing, packaging, tailoring, and sewing.
The industry by creating demands supports many other industries, such as, chemicals and dyes, packaging materials and engineering works.
While spinning continues to be centralised in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, weaving is highly decentralised to provide scope for incorporating traditional skills and designs of weaving in cotton, silk, zari, embroidery, etc.
India has world class production in spinning, but weaving supplies low quality of fabric as it cannot use much of the high-quality yarn produced in the country. Weaving is done by handloom, power loom and in mills. The hand spun khadi provides large scale employment to weavers in their homes as a cottage industry.

The first successful textile mill was established in Mumbai in 1854. The two world wars were fought in Europe, India was a British colony. There was a demand for cloth in U.K. hence, they gave a boost to the development of the cotton textile industry.

Jute Textile

India is the largest producer of raw jute and jute goods and stands at second place as an exporter after Bangladesh. Most of the mills are located in West Bengal, mainly along the banks of the Hugli River, in a narrow belt. The first jute mill was set up near Kolkata in 1855 at Rishra. After Partition in 1947, the jute mills remained in India but three-fourth of the jute producing area went to Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan).

Factors responsible for their location in the Hugli basin are -

Proximity of the jute producing areas, inexpensive water transport
Supported by a good network of railways, roadways and waterways to facilitate movement of raw material to the mills, abundant water for processing raw jute
Cheap labour from West Bengal and adjoining states of Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh.
Kolkata as a large urban centre provides banking, insurance and port facilities for export of jute goods.

6.0Sugar industry

India stands second as a world producer of sugar but occupies the first place in the production of Gur and khandsari. The raw material used in this industry is bulky and in haulage its sucrose content reduces. (a) Distribution of Mills: The mills are located in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. Sixty per cent mills are in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. (b) Factors for location: This industry is seasonal in nature so, it is ideally suited to the cooperative sector. In recent years, there is a tendency for the mills to shift and concentrate in the southern and western states, especially in Maharashtra, this is because the cane produced here has a higher sucrose content. The cooler climate also ensures a longer crushing season. Moreover, the cooperatives are more successful in these states.

7.0Mineral based industries

Industries that use minerals and metals as raw materials are called mineral-based industries.

Iron and Steel Industry

(i) Basic industry

It is the basic industry since all the other industries-heavy, medium, and light, depend on it for their machinery.
Steel is needed to manufacture a variety of engineering goods, construction material, defence material, telephonic, scientific equipment, and a variety of consumer goods.

(ii) Heavy industry

It is a heavy industry because all the raw material-as well as finished goods are heavy and bulky entailing heavy transportation cost.
Iron ore, coking coal and limestone are required in the ratio of approximately $4 : 2$ $: 1$ . Some quantities of manganese are also required to harden the steel.

(iii) In the 1950s China and India produced almost the same quantity of steel. Today, China is the largest producer of steel. China is also the world's largest consumer of steel.

(iv) Chhota Nagpur plateau region has the maximum concentration of iron and steel Industries because

Low cost of iron ore
High grade raw material in proximity
Cheap labour and vast growth potential in the home market.
Process of Manufacturing of Steel

Aluminium Smelting

Aluminium smelting is the second most important metallurgical industry in India. It is light, resistant to corrosion, a good conductor of heat, malleable and becomes strong when it is mixed with other metals. It is used to manufacture aircraft, utensils and wires. It has gained popularity as a substitute of steel, copper, zinc and lead in a number of industries. Aluminium smelting plants in the country are located in Odisha, West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Bauxite, the raw material used in the smelters is a very bulky, dark reddish coloured rock. Regular supply of electricity and an assured source of raw material at minimum cost are the two prime factors for location of the industry.

Process of Manufacturing in Aluminium Industry

Chemical Industry

The Chemical industry in India is fast growing and diversifying. It comprises both large- and small-scale manufacturing units. Rapid growth has been recorded in both inorganic and organic sectors. Inorganic chemicals include sulphuric acid (used to manufacture fertilizers, synthetic fibres, plastics, adhesives, paints, dyes stuffs), nitric acid, alkalies, soda ash (used to make glass, soaps and detergents, paper) and caustic soda. These industries are widely spread over the country. Organic chemicals include petrochemicals, which are used for manufacturing of synthetic fibres, synthetic rubber, plastics, dyestuffs, drugs, and pharmaceuticals. Organic chemical plants are located near oil refineries or petrochemical plants.

The chemical industry is its own largest consumer. Basic chemicals undergo processing to further produce other chemicals that are used for industrial application, agriculture or directly for consumer markets.

Fertiliser Industry

The fertilizer industry is centred around the production of nitrogenous fertilizers (mainly urea), phosphatic fertilizers and ammonium phosphate (DAP) and complex fertilizers which have a combination of nitrogen $(N)$ , phosphate ( P ), and potash ( K ). The third, i.e. potash is entirely imported as the country does not have any reserves of commercially usable potash or potassium compounds in any form.

After the Green Revolution the industry expanded to several other parts of the country. Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala contribute towards half of the fertilizer production. Other significant producers are Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Goa, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. (e) Cement Industry

It is essential for all construction activities, like building houses, roads, factory, bridges etc. Requires bulky and heavy raw materials like limestone, silica, alumina and gypsum, coal and electric power, are needed apart from rail transportation. The industry has strategically located plants in Gujarat that have suitable access to the markets in the Gulf countries. The first cement plant was setup in Chennai in 1904.

Automobile Industry

Automobiles provide vehicle for quick transport of goods services and passengers. e.g., Trucks, Bus, Car, Motorcycle, Scooters etc.
After the liberalisation, the coming in of new and contemporary models stimulated the demand for vehicles which led to a healthy growth.
The industry is located around Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur and Bengaluru.

8.0Information technology & electronic industry

The electronics industry covers a wide range of products including T.V. sets, transistor sets, telephone exchange, cellular telecom, pagers, computers and many other equipment's required by the telecommunication industry.
Bangalore has emerged as the electronic capital of India. Others are Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Pune Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Coimbatore.
The major impact of this industry has been on employment generation.
There has been continuous growth of hardware and software technology which is the key to success of IT industry in India.

9.0Industrial pollution and environmental degradation

Although industries contribute significantly to India's economic growth and development, the increase in pollution of land, water, air, noise and resulting degradation of environment that they have caused, cannot be overlooked. The polluting industries also include thermal power plants. Industries are responsible for four types of pollution: (a) Air (b) Water (c) Land (d) Noise

Air pollution

Causes:

It caused by presence of high proportion of undesirable gases such as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
The smoke is emitted by the industries pollute air and water very badly.
Toxic gas leaks can be very hazardous with long term effects. e.g., Bhopal gas tragedy.

Effects:

It adversely affects human health, animals, plants and the atmosphere as a whole.

Water pollution

Causes

It is caused by organic and inorganic industrial wastes and affluents discharged into rivers. Paper, pulp, chemical, textile and dyeing, petroleum refineries, tanneries and electroplating industries let out dyes, detergents acids, salt, soap and heavy metals like lead and mercury, etc into the water bodies.
Fly ash, phosphor-gypsum and iron and steel slags are the major solid wastes in India.

Thermal Pollution:

Thermal pollution of water occurs when hot water from factories and thermal plants is drained into rivers and ponds before cooling.

Causes

Wastes from nuclear power plants, nuclear and weapon production facilities cause cancers, birth defects and miscarriages.
Soil and water pollution are closely related. Dumping of wastes specially glass, harmful chemicals, industrial effluents, packaging, salts and garbage renders the soil useless.
Rainwater percolates to the soil carrying the pollutants to the ground and the ground water also gets contaminated.

Land pollution

Pumping of wastes from nuclear power plants.
Dumping of wastes like glass, harmful chemicals, industrial effluents, salts and garbage.

Noise pollution

Causes

Industrial and construction activities, machinery, factory equipment, generators, saws and pneumatic and electric drills make a lot of noise.

Effects

It leads to irritation and anger.
Causes hearing impairment.
Increased heart rate and blood pressure among other physiological effects and a source of stress.

10.0Control of Environmental Degradation

Every litre of wastewater discharged by our industry pollutes eight times the quantity of freshwater. How can the industrial pollution of fresh water be reduced? Some suggestions are-

minimising use water for processing by reusing and recycling it in two or more successive stages.
harvesting of rainwater to meet water requirements.
treating hot water and effluents before releasing them in rivers and ponds.

Treatment of industrial effluents can be done in three phases

Primary treatment by mechanical means. This involves screening, grinding, flocculation and sedimentation.
Secondary treatment by biological process
Tertiary treatment by biological, chemical and physical processes. This involves recycling of wastewater.

Overdrawing of ground water reserves by industry where there is a threat to ground water resources also needs to be regulated legally. Particulate matter in the air can be reduced by fitting smokestacks to factories with electrostatic precipitators, fabric filters, scrubbers and inertial separators. Smoke can be reduced by using oil or gas instead of coal in factories. Machinery and equipment can be used, and generators should be fitted with silencers. Almost all machinery can be redesigned to increase energy efficiency and reduce noise.

Noise absorbing material may be used apart from personal use of earplugs and earphones. The challenge of sustainable development requires integration of economic development with environmental concerns.

11.0NTPC

NTPC is a major power providing corporation in India. It has ISO certification for EMS (Environment Management System) 14001. The corporation has a pro-active approach for preserving the natural environment and resources like water, oil and gas and fuels in places where it is setting up power plants. This has been possible through-

Optimum utilisation of equipment adopting latest techniques and upgrading existing equipment.
Minimising waste generation by maximising ash utilisation.
Providing green belts for nurturing ecological balance and addressing the question of special purpose vehicles for afforestation.
Reducing environmental pollution through ash pond management, ash water recycling system and liquid waste management.
Ecological monitoring, reviews and online database management for all its power stations.

12.0Glossary

Decentralised - Decentralization is the process of shifting control from one main group to several smaller ones.
Haulage - Haulage is the business of transporting goods by road or rail between suppliers and large consumer outlets, factories, warehouses, or depots.
Malleable - Malleability is the property of metal associated with the ability to be hammered into a thin sheet without breaking.
Kilns - A type of large oven used for making bricks and clay objects harder.
Tanneries - A place where animal skins are tanned and made into leather.
Flocculation - The process by which individual particles of clay aggregate into clot like masses or precipitate into small lumps.

13.0MIND MAP