Explain why most of the cotton textile industries have shifted to Ahmedabad from Mumbai.

The first modern cotton mill was established in Mumbai in 1854, this city had several advantages as a cotton textile manufacturing centre.

a) It was very close to the cotton producing areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra

b) Had port facilities to enable export of the finished product

c) The city was the financial centre and, therefore, the capital needed to start an industry was available there.

d) Cheap and abundant labour was available locally.

e) The required machinery could be directly imported from England.

However, the progress made in the 20^th century diminished the advantages the Mumbai city had, or rather made the advantages available to other cities as well.

• The Swadeshi movement gave a major impetus for setting up the cotton textile industry in other parts of the country.

• The cotton textile centres expanded rapidly after the development of the railway network, after 1921.

• Local investment and port facilities brought cotton mills to Kanpur and Kolkata, respectively.

• The development of hydro-electricity also favoured the location of the cotton textile mills away from the cotton producing areas.

• Lower labour costs also caused industries to be located away from cotton producing areas.

Thus, the cotton textile industry is located in almost every state in India, where one or more of the locational factors have been favourable. The importance of raw material has given way to market or to cheaper local labour or it may be the availability of power.