The Industrial Revolution in India

Abstract

This chapter explains the technological and economic background of Nehruvian development. The narrative begins with the colonial period, which saw extensive infrastructural development and limited introduction of mechanized industry. After independence Nehru's Congress government launched a series of five-year plans, which were intended to develop India's economy and industrial base and set the nation on the road to autarky and self-reliance. The chapter describes the first three five-year plans (which all together ran from 1951 to 1966) and explores in detail two aspects of Nehruvian development: import substitution and the need to use secondhand machinery or keep machines running far longer than their designers had originally intended. The Indian heavy electrical equipment industry serves as a case study for import substitution in the public sector.