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Question 8.
Critically appraise some of the shortfalls of the industrial policy pursued by the British colonial administration.
The industrial policy followed by the British colonial administration in India suffered from several serious shortfalls. These policies were designed to serve British interests rather than promote balanced industrial development in India.
One major shortfall was the absence of a clear and comprehensive industrial policy. The British government never made a serious attempt to promote indigenous industries. Industrial growth occurred only in a few selected areas and was largely left to private British enterprise.
Another important weakness was the neglect of basic and capital goods industries. Industries such as iron and steel, heavy machinery, and chemical industries were not encouraged because their development would have competed with British industries.
The British industrial policy also resulted in regional imbalances. Industrial development was concentrated mainly in port cities like Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras, while the interior regions remained largely backward and underdeveloped.
Further, the policy failed to protect traditional and small-scale industries. Indian handicrafts and cottage industries were exposed to unfair competition from cheap machine-made imports, leading to their decline and widespread unemployment among artisans.
Finally, the British promoted India mainly as a supplier of raw materials and a market for finished British goods. This led to what is described as the “colonial pattern of industrialisation”, which did not generate self-sustaining or diversified industrial growth.
Conclusion
In short, British industrial policy was exploitative and unbalanced. It hindered India’s industrial development and left the economy weak and dependent at the time of independence.