Mineral Based Industry - Concepts - Chapter 6 Class 10 Geography - Manufacturing Industries - Geography

Mineral-based Industries

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

Iron and Steel Industry

• The iron and steel industry 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 materials , defence , medical , telephonic , scientific equipment and some consumer goods .
• Production and consumption of steel are often regarded as the index of a country’s development . 
• Iron and steel is a heavy industry because all the raw materials , as well as finished goods , are heavy and bulky entailing heavy transportation costs .
• Iron ore , cooking coal and limestone are required in a ratio of approximately 4: 2: 1.  
• Some quantities of manganese , are also required to harden the steel . 
• The finished products also need an efficient transport network for their distribution to the markets and consumers.
• Chhotanagpur plateau region has the maximum concentration of iron and steel industries . It is largely, because of the relative advantages this region has for the development of this industry. 
• These include:
• the low cost of iron ore, 
• high-grade raw materials  
• cheap labour  
• growth potential in the home market. 

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 for steel , copper , zinc and lead in some industries.
• In India, Aluminium smelting plants are located in Odisha , West Bengal , Kerala , Uttar Pradesh , Chhattisgarh , Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu .
• A regular supply of electricity and an assured source of raw material at minimum cost are the two prime factors for the location of the industry.

• The raw material used in the smelters, Bauxite , is a very bulky, dark reddish-coloured rock .

Chemical Industries

• The Chemical industry in India comprises both large and small-scale manufacturing units. Rapid growth has been recorded in both inorganic and organic sectors
• The inorganic industry includes
  • sulphuric acid which is used to manufacture:
    • Fertilisers
    • synthetic fibres
    • Plastics
    • Adhesives
    • Paints
    • dyes stuff 
• nitric acid
• alkalis 
• caustic soda
• soda ash which is used to make 
  • • Glass
    • Soaps
    • Papers
    • detergents 
• These industries are widely spread over the country .
• Organic Chemicals includes
  • Petrochemicals which are used in the manufacturing of:
    • synthetic rubber
    • synthetic fibres  
    • Plastics
    • Dye-stuffs
    • Drugs
    • 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 produce other chemicals that are used for industrial application , agriculture or directly for the consumer market .

Fertilizer Industry

• The fertilizer industry produces 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
  • Karnataka

Cement Industry

• Cement is essential for construction activities such as building houses , factories , bridges , roads , airports , dams and for other commercial establishments. 
• This industry requires bulky and heavy raw materials like limestone , silica and gypsum . Coal and electric power are needed apart from rail transportation .
• The industry has plants in Gujarat that have suitable access to the market in the Gulf countries .
• The first cement plant was set up in Chennai in 1904 . After Independence, the industry expanded. 

Automobile Industry

• The automobile industry provides vehicles for the quick transportation of passengers and goods .
• In India, trucks , scooters , buses , cars, motorcycles, three-wheelers and multi-utility vehicles are manufactured at various centres.
• After the liberalisation , the coming in of new models stimulated (increased) the demand for vehicles in the market which led to the growth of the industry including passenger cars , and two and three-wheelers .
• The industry is located around 
  • Delhi
  • Gurugram
  • Mumbai 
  • Pune
  • Chennai
  • Kolkata
  • Lucknow
  • Indore
  • Hyderabad
  • Jamshedpur 
  • Bengaluru

Information Technology and Electronics Industry

• The electronics industry covers a wide range of products like 
• transistor sets 
• television
• telephones
• cellular telecom
• telephone exchange
• Radars
• computers and other equipment required by the telecommunication industry.
• Bengaluru has emerged as the electronic capital of India.
• Other important centres are 
• Mumbai  
• Delhi
• Hyderabad  
• Pune
• Chennai  
• Kolkata
• Lucknow
• Coimbatore , Tamil Nadu
• The major industry concentration is in 
• Bengaluru 
• Noida
• Mumbai 
• Chennai 
• Hyderabad
• Pune
• A significant impact of this industry has been on employment generation . 
• The continuing growth in hardware and software is the key to the success of the IT industry in India.