Textile Industry
Clothes are the second basic need of human beings after food. Textile manufacturing industry is the oldest industry in the world. Since ancient times, textile manufacturing was done in countries like India, China, Egypt, Peru, and Mexico. The English word textile is derived from the Latin word ‘texture’, which means ‘to weave. Today, all the activities like spinning, weaving, and dyeing are included in this industry.
The modern textile industry was born during the industrial revolution in Britain. Since then, this industry spread to other countries in Europe, USA, Japan, China, India, and other countries of the world. There are many branches of the textile industry, out of which the following are the important ones.
(1) Cotton textile industry
(2) Woollen textile industry
(3) Silk textile industry
(4) Jute industry.
Cotton Textile Industry
The cotton textile industry is the most important among all textile industries and it has the largest expansion in the world. The main processes involved in making cloth from cotton fiber are ginning of the fiber, spinning, weaving, and dyeing. Generally, cotton ginning factories are set up in cotton-producing areas and the cotton obtained from these factories is sold in the market. Cleaning, washing, spinning, weaving, and dyeing of this cotton fiber are done in cotton textile factories. A textile mill that performs all these functions is called a compound mill. Spinning or weaving textile mills with a single function are called mills. The location of these compound mills or specialized mills depends on the compatibility of various factors.
Factors Affecting the Localization of the Cotton Textile Industry
The following factors affect the establishment of the cotton textile industry-
1. Raw materials –
Raw materials form a major part of the cost of the goods manufactured by any industry. The higher the proportion of raw material in the total production cost, the more likely the establishment of that industry near the raw material producing areas. Cotton is the most important raw material for the cotton textile industry. Therefore, in many parts of the world, this industry has developed in the cotton-growing regions. For example, the cotton textile industry in Mumbai and Ahmedabad in India and the United States of America has been established in the cotton-producing areas only.
2. Market –
Cotton producing areas and markets are alike for the establishment of the cotton textile industry because cotton is a pure raw material, that is, about one ton of cloth is prepared from one ton of cotton There is a single transportation cost in taking the finished goods to market yet the cotton textile industry is market oriented as knowledge of the market and its selling facilities are an added advantage. Means of power, availability of labor, and climate are other important factors for the location of industry near the market.
If the compatibility of the market and other factors are the same in the cotton-producing areas, then in such a situation, the market has more influence on the establishment of the industry near the market, because along with the sale facility, adjustments can also be made easily according to the changing demand and fashion, for example, despite being not a cotton-producing region, Japan and Britain are the leading countries in the manufacture of cotton cloth. The development of all cotton mills in India in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha is exclusively market-based.
3. Means of power –
In every industry, power is required for the manufacture of goods. In the cotton textile industry, driving power is mainly obtained from coal. Therefore, most of the cotton textile industries were established near the coal fields. The Lancashire cotton textile industry in Britain is an important example of this. Now the use of electric power is increasing in place of coal. In the USA, Japan, Switzerland, Italy, and India, electricity is used as a source of energy nowadays.
4. Inexpensive transport –
To take the raw material used in industries and manufactured goods to the consumption centers, cheap and efficient means of transport are required. Britain gets cotton from countries like India, Pakistan, Egypt, USA, etc. due to cheap sea transport, and it is very easy to supply finished goods to the consumption centers. As a result, despite the lack of cotton production in Britain, there has been a substantial development in the cotton textile industry.
5. Supply of Labour –
The cost of labor forms a major part of the total production cost of cotton textiles. That is why regions with dense populations or large industrial centers where there is a supply of skilled, cheap, and sufficient labor, attract cotton textile industries. For example, the development of cotton textile industries in the industrial center of Kolkata is because of the supply of cheap and skilled labor from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Odisha.
6. Favorable climate –
Humid climate and sea breeze are very favorable for the spinning and weaving of yarn. In humid climates, the yarn can be spun very finely. This is the reason that most of the cotton textile industries are established near seas or in areas of humid climates. Because of the favorable climate, this industry has progressed in Britain, Japan, Maharashtra, and Gujarat states of India. Nowadays this industry is being run by artificial humidification even in areas with dry climates, but it costs more.
7. Water supply –
In the cotton textile industry, a large amount of water is required for the washing, dyeing, and printing of yarn and fabrics. Therefore, water supply is an important factor for the localization of this industry. Generally, water is obtained from rivers, ponds, tube wells, etc. Therefore, this industry is established near these sources of water supply.
8. Capital –
Capital investment has been an important factor in the establishment and development of this industry in countries like Britain, the USA, and Japan. The Seths of Mumbai earned a huge amount of money in the cotton trade by taking advantage of the inflation of cotton during the American Civil War and established this industry there with the same capital.
9. Government encouragement –
Government encouragement is an important factor for the establishment and development of any industry. The British government provided significant support in the establishment and development of the cotton textile industry in the country by providing a market for cotton clothes in the colonies. The credit for the progress of the cotton textile industry in India goes to the national government. Also, the cotton textile industry got a lot of support from the Swadeshi movement.
10. Technology –
Modern cotton textile industry was set up because of development in technology at the time of ‘The Industrial Revolution in Britain and transferred to the USA, Japan, and India.
11. Preliminaries –
Where an industry is first established also has a major impact on the location of the industry. The development of the cotton textile industry in Britain took place in the entire Lancashire region. The Manchester center became so popular that if the cotton textile industry develops in any other country, it came to be known as Manchester of that region.
12. Cheap land –
To set up an industry, cheap and appropriate land is required for the residence of workers. If the cost of land is high, the total cost of setting up the industry will increase. One of the reasons for the transfer of this industry towards Ahmedabad was that the land was cheaper here than in Mumbai. Therefore, many capitalists started setting up mills in Ahmedabad.
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