Day 9 – Q 3.Examine the factors that have led to the changing pattern of distribution of textile sector?
3. Examine the factors that have led to the changing pattern of distribution of textile sector?
उन कारकों की जांच करें जिनके कारण कपड़ा उद्योग के वितरण पैटर्न में बदलाव आये है?
Approach:
Keywords in this question are, “Examine”, “factors, Changing pattern of distribution…” With the advancement in technology, textile industries became one of the most versatile industries. Over centuries, it changed its location distribution across the World. What are the factors behind such change, we have to examine them.
Introduction:
Textile industries are one of the ancient industries on the globe. Initially they used to be dependent on sources of supply of raw material, but with the progress in science and technology, there are frequent changes in factors, on which location of these industries depends.
Body
Types of textiles:
Textile industry can be divided into several segments, some of which can be listed as below:
- Cotton Textiles
- Silk Textiles
- Woollen Textiles
- Readymade Garments
- Hand-crafted Textiles
- Jute and Coir
Factors of change in distribution:
- Technology: Earlier, before industrial revolution, India was leading supplier of cotton textiles to the world. These were hand-loom based textiles. Due to industrial revolution came power looms and synthetic cloths, which were cheaper than Indian handloom cotton. Thus handlooms of India began to shut down and modern mechanized textile industry of Europe began to flourish. The same happened in the case of silk and wool too. Industries shifted from place of raw-material to the place of advanced technologies.
- War and conflicts: During world war, European economy was completely disturbed, during the period, North America (U.S.) started to supply things of basic needs to Europe. During this period, American textile industries flourished. Similarly, traditional carpet making industry of middle eastern countries are losing ground to machine made carpets of U.S. and China, mainly due to continuous conflict in the region.
- Capitalism and cheap labour: Textile industry is a labour intensive industry. With the rise in free economies and profit orientation of capitalist, textile industries started to shift to destinations where cheap labour is easily available such as South Asian countries.
- Rising demand in developing countries: India, Indonesia and such other Asian countries are fastest growing economies of the world. In such developing countries with large population, demand is also rapidly increasing. This rise in demand shifted the European textile industries to Asian countries. Australia is one of the largest wool producing countries, but raw material of Australia is taken to Asian industries, because demand in Asia is higher than Australia.
- Globalisation: Globalisation and rise of multinational companies, territorial boundaries are no more important. Capital, which is one of the important factor for textile industries can reach to raw material producing countries from developed countries easily. Multinational companies from U.S. are setting up their industries in South Asian and South East Asian countries.
- Advancement in means of transportation and communication: Earlier, textile industries used to be located near ports for easy transport, but now with advancement in rail and air cargo facilities, ports are no more that much important.
- Population pressure: Once Mumbai was one of the main center of textile production, now due to immense population pressure, rising prices of land and labour, textile industries of Mumbai shifted to Surat, Ahmadbabad and Aurangabad etc.
- Partition and territorial developments: Cotton producing rich soil went to Pakistan in West and jute producing went to Bangladesh (erstwhile East Pakistan). This hampered the industries that remained in India without raw material.
- Advanced agricultural practices: Natural weather conditions are no more necessary requirement for textile crop production, it can be done with biologically modified seeds and artificial weather creations.
Conclusion:
- Above mentioned are some of the factors which led to change in distribution of textile industries throughout the globe.
- Considering the demographic dividend, India has an opportunity due to these shifts.
- Recent schemes of the government for up-gradation and mechanization of textile industries is a welcome step.
Best Answer: Shri
