50 years of Industrial
Development: 1947-1997:
Punjab’s industrial development can be broken up into
five periods:
The post-1947
phase
The development
of small-scale units
Large
and Medium scale industry
The high-tech
phase
The diversification
of industries
Post-Partition:
Pre-partition Punjab had very little industry and the industries
that existed were a few woolen mills in Amritsar and Dhariwal,
some old iron foundries in Batala and Mandi Gobindgarh and
a couple of sugar mills. The economy of the state was totally
dominated by agriculture and but processing of agricultural
products was virtually unknown.
The Development of Small Scale Units: During the ‘50s and ‘60s,
there was an explosion in the number of small scale units.
Growth centered around Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Goraya.
Most of these units produced bicycles, sewing machines, agricultural
implements, medical instruments, hosiery, machine tools and
sports goods or parts for these goods. This phase saw the
emergence of a few units to process agricultural produce such
as sugar mills at Batala and Bhogpur. Small scale industrial
units number more than 0.2 million in Punjab today; they employ
more than 0.9 million workers and constitute a vital and dynamic
segment of industry. The growth of the small scale sector
was encouraged by government policies in the Five-Year Plans
and the establishment of the Punjab Financial Corporation
in 1953.
Large & Medium Scale Industry: Unavailability of major raw material
such as Iron or Coal, was a definite hindrance for the establishment
of large and medium scale units in Punjab. Punjab Government
stepped in to help make large & medium scale production
profitable in Punjab. The establishment of the Punjab State
Industrial Development Corporation in the ‘60s was intended
to fill the gap in the development of the state. Acting as
an entrepreneur, the PSIDC, on its own promoted projects and
also set up larger units in the joint sector. These objects
reached their fruition in the ‘70s and ‘80s and
included Punjab Tractors Ltd(PTL), Punjab Wireless(PUNWIRE),
Punjab Alkalies ltd, Punjab Communication ltd. (PCL) are some
of them.
The High-Tech Phase: The ‘70s witnessed the foundation
of electronics production. The Punjab government set up an
Electronics Township called ELTOP on a 290-acre site in Mohali,
near Chandigarh. This township has emerged as one of the fastest
growing centres for electronics production in the country.
Projects set up in the township cover micro-electronic devices,
computers, computer peripherals, communications, electronic
typewriters, nickel cadmium batteries, uninterrupted power
supply systems, colour picture TV tubes, medical electronics,
X-ray equipment, EPABX systems, many with technical collaboration
with companies like Granger of USA, OKI and NEC of Japan,
and ARE of Italy. The only facility in the country for the
design and fabrication of very large scale integrated circuits,
the Semiconductor Complex(SCL) is also located in this township.
Punjab Leads in manufacture of machines
and hand tools, printing and paper machinery , auto parts
and electrical switchgears. Punjab produces around 75% of
bicycle and bicycle parts, sewing machines, Woolen and other
Hosiery items, Shoddy blanket and jacket clothes and sports
goods.
During the ‘50s and ‘60s,
there was an explosion in the number of small scale units.
Growth centered around Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Goraya.
Most of these units produced bicycles, sewing machines, agricultural
implements, medical instruments, hosiery, machine tools and
sports goods or parts for these goods. This phase saw the
emergence of a few units to process agricultural produce such
as sugar mills at Batala and Bhogpur. Small scale industrial
units number more than 0.2 million in Punjab today; they employ
more than 0.9 million workers and constitute a vital and dynamic
segment of industry. The growth of the small scale sector
was encouraged by government policies in the Five-Year Plans
and the establishment of the Punjab Financial Corporation
in 1953.
Unavailability of major raw material
such as Iron or Coal, was a definite hindrance for the establishment
of large and medium scale units in Punjab. Punjab Government
stepped in to help make large & medium scale production
profitable in Punjab. The establishment of the Punjab State
Industrial Development Corporation in the ‘60s was intended
to fill the gap in the development of the state. Acting as
an entrepreneur, the PSIDC, on its own promoted projects and
also set up larger units in the joint sector. These objects
reached their fruition in the ‘70s and ‘80s and
included Punjab Tractors Ltd(PTL), Punjab Wireless(PUNWIRE),
Punjab Alkalies ltd, Punjab Communication ltd. (PCL) are some
of them.
The ‘70s witnessed the foundation
of electronics production. The Punjab government set up an
Electronics Township called ELTOP on a 290-acre site in Mohali,
near Chandigarh. This township has emerged as one of the fastest
growing centres for electronics production in the country.
Projects set up in the township cover micro-electronic devices,
computers, computer peripherals, communications, electronic
typewriters, nickel cadmium batteries, uninterrupted power
supply systems, colour picture TV tubes, medical electronics,
X-ray equipment, EPABX systems, many with technical collaboration
with companies like Granger of USA, OKI and NEC of Japan,
and ARE of Italy. The only facility in the country for the
design and fabrication of very large scale integrated circuits,
the Semiconductor Complex(SCL) is also located in this township.
Punjab Leads in manufacture of machines
and hand tools, printing and paper machinery , auto parts
and electrical switchgears. Punjab produces around 75% of
bicycle and bicycle parts, sewing machines, Woolen and other
Hosiery items, Shoddy blanket and jacket clothes and sports
goods. 