Industries of Madhya Pradesh - An Overview:

Industries of Madhya Pradesh are well developed and are a prime sector of the economic development of the state. With the established industries, Madhya Pradesh has entered the high technology era. Industries of Madhya Pradesh are one of the main sources of income for the state. Madhya Pradesh has entered the era of high-technology industries such as electronics, telecommunications, automobiles etc. The state is producing optical fibre for telecommunication needs.

A large number of automobile industries have been established at Pithampur near Indore. Prominent industries in the public sector in the state are Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd at Bhopal, Security Paper Mill at Hoshangabad District, Bank Note Press at Dewas District, Newsprint Factory at Nepanagar and Alkaloid Factory at Neemuch District. The production of newsprint and cement in the state has been really high in the past few years. Further, the Government of India has proposed setting up of Special Economic Zone at Indore.

However, this state is considered as industrially backward as compared to other states of India. The main industries of Madhya Pradesh are based upon water, mineral, forest and agriculture. About 21 types of minerals are mined in the state. Forestland covers about 30.9 percent out of the total geographical area. In almost half of the region of the state, agriculture is practiced. Madhya Pradesh stands first in production of soyabean while it ranks third in the production of mustard oil.

In the first phase of industrial development, the large-scale industries have been taken up for speedy development like the Bharat Heavy Electric Limited (BHEL), Bhopal, National Paper Mill, etc. Second phase of industrial development was devoted to the speedy development of large-scale, medium scale and small-scale industries. It included industries like paper, iron and steel, solvent extraction plants, and chemical industries. Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Corporation (MSIC), Madhya Pradesh Finance Corporation (MFC), and Madhya Pradesh Small-Industry Corporation (MSIC) have been established to boost up the industrial development in the state. Presently, the state is considered a pioneer in production of electronics, telecommunication, petro-chemicals, and vehicles. In production of optical fibres, the state leads in the country.

Madhya Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (MPSIDC) was set up under the Companies Act. 1956, as wholly owned state government undertaking for promotion and development of medium and large industries in the state. MPSIDC is also involved in developing industrial infrastructure through its subsidiary companies.

Industries of Madhya Pradesh can be divided in the following manner -

• Mineral Resources Based Industry, which includes Cement Industry, Heavy Electrical Instruments, Crockery Industry, etc.
• Forest Based Industry includes Paper Industry, Furniture Industry, etc.
• Agricultural Based industry includes Cotton Textile, Artificial Fabrics, Sugar Mills, Vegetation Oil, Soyabean Oil industry, etc.

The major concentration of cement industries in the state of Madhya Pradesh is found in Jabalpur district, Satna district, Morena district, Bhind district, Damoh district, Mandsaur district, Balaghat district, Narsinghpur district, Sidhi district, and Betul district. Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) was established in Bhopal in 1960, which is the pioneer enterprise of its kind in India. Due to high availability of fire clay, crockery industry in Madhya Pradesh occupies a progressive position. The main crockery industries are located in Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Ratlam.

There are around 113 wood carving industries in the state. The state ranks third in production of cotton textile after Maharashtra and Gujarat. Cotton is grown in the southwest part of the state and its cotton textile industries are located in Indore, Ujjain, and Gwalior. Indore is the biggest cotton textile-producing centre of the state. The sugar industries are located in Ujjain, Sehore, Shivpuri, Morena, Shajapur, Dewas, Gwalior, Mandsaur, and Ratlam districts. Small-scale or cottage industries also occupy an important position in the state and it plays a vital role in the development of the area or region.