refining, ship building, aircraft manufacture, locomotive and wagon buil- ding etc., are established. Some of the light industries like sewing machines, cycles, radios, instruments, electrical goods have also grown. So, Sri M. Shah, the Union Minister of Industry declared that India was definitely advancing from a primary producing agricultural country to an industria- lised country exporting manufactured goods and importing raw materials. The Second Plan placed considerably greater emphasis on Industrial deve- lopment.
Now let us for a moment come back to Assam and see what position she occupies in the industrial map of India. If we now take into account the number of registered factories in the different states of India, we will surely get an idea of industrial development in the major states.
State | Population
(in lakhs) |
No. of
registered factories |
No. of person
employed |
Assam | 90 | 108 | 6,678 |
Orissa | 146 | 134 | 14,810 |
U.P. | 632 | 614 | 1,87,327 |
Madras | 570 | 1473 | 179315 |
W.Bengle | 248 | 1,593 | 4,73,461 |
Bombay | 359 | 1539 | 5,44,332 |
The above table compiled from official reports as published, brings out clearly the undeniable fact that Assam occupies the last place in the great onward march of the country towards industrialisation. If this is the position of Assam in the industrial map of India then, Assam, in all fairness, should receive all attention in this direction. The oil and tea, the two flourishing industries of the state are mainly managed by foreign capital. The immence possibility of the petroleum deposit of the state can never be overlooked. India's known mineral oil resources are confined to the Assam Valley. The indigenous oil production is of the order of oʻ2 million tons, about 7% of the import. The expansion of refinery capacity, more intensive search for new oil fields, and the possible establishment of a synthe- tic oil plant in India are of immediate national importance. It must be admitted here that Government of India has launched a campaign for explo- ration of oil in India. Geological and Geophysical survey and experimental