INDUSTRIES In KASHMIR

 Some of the most important industries of Jammu and Kashmir are 

1. Silk Textile 

2. Carpet-Making and Woolen Textile

 3. Forest-based Industries 

4. Agro-based Industries

 5. Papier Mache 

6. Cement Industry 

7. Industrial Complexes.

Industries fall under secondary economic activity. The industrial process involves changing the form of goods to enhance their value. To undertake the manufacture of goods, inputs in the form of capital, labor, power, and raw materials are required. The output is a finished product that can either be used again as a raw material for another manufactured or consumed in its present form.

Despite its abundance of water and forest resources, the state of Jammu and Kashmir has few metallic mineral resources. The scarcity of iron ore, copper, high-quality coal, petroleum, and natural gas are important impediments to the growth of fundamental industries and manufacturing centers.

In the following lines, some of Jammu & Kashmir's most important industries are briefly described:

1. Silk Fabric:

Jammu and Kashmir's silk textile industry is one of the state's oldest. Kashmiri silks are known around the world for their high quality, color, and hues. Silk cloths were utilized to export to the Persian, Greek, and Roman empires, according to historical data. The Mughals were huge fans of silken garments during the medieval period. They supported this industry in Kashmir's valley.

The basic units are as follows:

Farmers who raise silkworms and make cocoons,

The manufacture of silk fiber and textile is the second unit

2. Carpet and Woolen Textile Manufacturing:

 Carpet manufacturing is one of Kashmir's oldest industries. Kashmiri carpets are known for their great designs and natural patterns all over the world. Though carpets are made in practically every town in the valley, the majority of them are produced in and around Srinagar.

3. Forest-based Industries: Forests cover almost one-third of Jammu and Kashmir's entire land area. Conifers make up the majority of forest species at higher elevations, while pine and deciduous broad-leaved trees predominate at lower elevations. A variety of forest-based enterprises rely on these woodlands for raw materials. Some of the agro-based industries well established in the Valley of Kashmir are paper, pulp, match, delicate boxes, sporting products (cricket bats), furniture, joinery, toys, antiquities, and decorating pieces.

4. Agriculture-based Industries: 

Jammu and Kashmir is an agrarian state. Agricultural products, in fact, account for more than half of the state's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and provide raw materials to a variety of sectors. Agriculture provides the raw materials for fruit canning, edible oil extraction, wheat mills, rice husking industries, bakery, and alcohol production.

Rice is grown in large quantities in the plains of the Jammu Division and the Valley of Kashmir. Rice is consumed by more than 60% of the state's population. As a result, the state has a slew of rice-husking industries, mostly in the state's rice-growing areas' smaller cities.

5. Papier Mache: Paper pulp is used to make papier mache. Lacquer artists create lovely designs on smooth wood. These designs are quite detailed, and the drawings are entirely done by hand. The major papier-mache goods include pen-boxes (qalamdan), tables, cabinets, trays, and boxes. Papier-mache has a substantial domestic and worldwide market. After 1989, papier-mache suffered as a result of the unstable political situation, which deterred visitors from visiting. The papier-mache business is mostly restricted to Srinagar and its environs.

Kashmir is well-known for its leather products production. Many villages in the Srinagar, Islamabad (Anantnag), Baramulla, and Badgam areas have been affected.

6. Cement Industry:

 Cement is made from calcareous and argillaceous materials as raw ingredients. The basic constituents of this industry are limestone, gypsum, coal, bauxite, and clay, which are blended in appropriate proportions to make the raw mix. In the districts of Baramulla and Anantnag, considerable quantities of limestone and gypsum are available.

7. Industrial Complexes: 

The state government of Jammu and Kashmir has been focusing on the development of agro-based, forest-based, and mineral-based businesses since 1980. The State Industrial Development Corporation has built industrial complexes at Kashmir's Rangreth, Khunamoh, and Doabgah, as well as Jammu's Bari Brahman.

Television sets, radios, transistors, electronic clocks, stabilizers, electric blankets, tape recorders, and jewels for watches are all assembled in the Rangreth facility. Khonamoh manufactures joinery items, matches, vehicle batteries, and tiles.

Jammu & Kashmir has experienced little industrial development. The absence of essential minerals and infrastructure facilities are the primary causes of industrial underdevelopment. Industrial complexes, on the other hand, are progressively forming.

The development of new power projects, the expansion of the road network, and the inclusion of the state on the national rail map have all aided in the creation of an environment favorable to the growth and development of companies. A number of industrial zones have been established, and various initiatives are being made to aid industry development. In 1998, there were 876 registered manufacturers, with around 5,600 small-scale companies.