Comment on development of iron and steel industry in India.

1.	Comment on development of iron and steel industry in India.
Answer» Iron and steel industry in India began with foundation of Barakar Iron Works at Kulti in West Bengal. This industry was developed in different stages during different Five Year Plans; after independence. During the Second Five Year Plan factories were established at Durgapur (West Bengal) with British collaboration, at Rourkela (Odisha) with Russian collaboration, and at Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) with Russian collaboration. The steel plant at Bokaro (Jharkhand) was established during the Fourth Five Year Plan. The steel plant at Bokaro is the largest steel plant in Asia. The Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) was formed in 1973 to ensure qualitative growth in this industry. India was the 8th largest producer of wrought iron in the world in 2008. In 2015, it became the third largest producer of wrought iron in the world. The steel sector contributes 2% to the GDP and gives employment to more than 6 lakh people.

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