Cotton Textile Industry India: Production, Growth and Issues

Growth and Development:

India held world monopoly in the manufacturing of cotton textiles for approximately 3,000 years from about B.C. 1500 to A.D. 1500. At the middle ages, Indian cotton textile products were in need in the Eastern and European markets.

The muslins of Dhaka, chintzes of Masulipatnam, calicos of Calicut, baftas of Cambay and gold-wrought cotton piece goods of Burhanpur, Surat and Vadodara acquired a global celebrity by virtue of their design and quality.

This industry could not survive in the face of strong competition from the modern mill industry of Britain, which provided better and cheap goods as a result of Industrial Revolution in this country. Moreover, the textile industry appreciated advantage.

The very first telescope cotton textile mill was put up in 1818 in Fort Glaster close Kolkata. However, this mill couldn't endure and had to be closed down. The first successful modem cotton textile mill was established in Mumbai in 1854 by a neighborhood Parsi entrepreneur C.N. Dewar. Mill in 1861 and Calico mill in 1863 in Ahmedabad were landmarks in the development of Indian cotton textile and handloom weaving industry.

The actual growth of cotton textile industry took place in 1870's. By 1875-76 mills' amount climbed to 47 of which over 60 per cent were located in Mumbai city . The industry continued to progress till the outbreak of the First World War. The entire amount of mills reached 271 providing employment to about 2.6 lakh persons.

The First World War, the Swadeshi Movement and the grant of fiscal security favoured the development of the industry at a quick pace. Requirement for fabric during the Second World War led to progress of the industry. The number of mills increased from 334 in 1945 from 1926 to 389 in 1939 and 417. Generation of fabric also increased to 4,726 million yards in 1945-46 from 4,012 million yards in 1939-40.

Here is top list of textile mills in India.