Some important facts on Woollen industry

1. The first woollen mill was set up in Kanpur in 1876.

2. It is not so well developed as the cotton industry because

(a) India is a tropical country, so requirement is mainly in northern India for a limited period.

(b) A majority of the people are poor and cannot afford to buy the expensive woollen clothes.

(c) As the wool in the country is of inferior quality. India has to import wool from Australia.

(d) Industrialist prefer to invest in the cotton industry as it is more profitable.

3. Raw materials required are wool, wool waste and for scouring and dying clean soft water is required.

4. The woollen industry is concentrated in the north as the raw material is available from the colder regions in the north. Moreover the requirement of woollen clothing is also in these regions as it is cold there.

5. Centres for the woollen Industry – Punjab produce more than 50%, the main centres being Dhariwal, Amritsar and Ludhiana.

Besides these Agra, Mirzapur, Kanpur (U.P.), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Gwalior (M.P.), Bangalore (Karnataka) and Srinagar (J & K) are also important for the woollen industry.

They manufacture superior quality woollen cloth made from imported wool.

6. The woollen Handloom industry is flourishing today as shawls, blankets, rugs and carpets are in great demand.

7. Srinagar is important for shawls and carpets and Agra and Mirzapur specialize in the manufacture of woollen carpets.