Industrial area description

1. The Mumbai-Pune Industrial Region
This is the most important industrial region of the country. The region developed
after the arrival of British in India who developed the Mumbai Seaport. After the
opening of Suez Canal in 1869 the sea-route between India and Europe was
reduced substantially. The development of this industrial region is closely
connected with the history of development of cotton textile industry in India. The
humid climate, natural port facilities, availability of hydro-power, skilled labour,
and a vast hinterland producing cotton became the main factors in the
development of this industrial region.
There are more than 8000 registered factories only in the Greater Mumbai, out of
which 350 belong to cotton textile. The other industries of the region are
engineering goods, chemical industries, food-processing industries, leather
goods, pharmaceutical, and film industries. In Mumbai, the bulk of the production
is light textured fine and super fine cotton cloths. Over 15 lakh people are engaged
in the industrial sector of this region.
Pune is the second most important industrial centre of the region. It has more than
1200 registered factories. Its industries are producing metallurgical, chemical,
engineering, and automobile goods. Pune has two factories producing scooters
and mopeds.
It extends from Mumbai-Thane to Pune and in adjoining districts of Nashik and
Solapur. Besides, industrial development has been rapid in Kolaba, Ahmednagar,
Satara, Sangli and Jalgaon districts.
Hydro-electricity was developed in the Western Ghat region to meet the
requirements of this industry. With the development of cotton textile industry,
chemical industry also developed. Opening of the Mumbai High petroleum field
and erection of nuclear energy plants added additional pull to this region. Besides,
engineering goods, petroleum refining, petrochemicals, leather, synthetic and
plastic goods, drugs, fertilisers, electrical, shipbuilding, electronics, software,
transport equipments and food industries also developed Important industrial
centres are Mumbai, Kolaba, Kalyan, Thane, Trombay, Pune, Pimpri, Nashik,
Manmad, Solapur, Kolhapur, Ahmednagar, Satara and Sangli.

2. This industrial region has almost reached the saturation level. Some of the important problems
of this industrial region facing are:
(i) Inadequate supply of power
(ii) Obsolete and outdated machinery
(iii) High cost of land and high rent of commercial space
(iv) Labour unrest
(v) Increasing regionalism
(vi) High rate of crime
(vii) Increasing environmental pollution