Success Records From The Past
Steel Trade of India
The archived records of The Dutch East India Company tell us that,
“between the year 1670 and 1681, in a eleven year period, about 1,50,000 pounds of steel was exported from Masulipatnam Port of the Coromandel Coast in Andhra to the Dutch ports in the Batavia region of Netherlands.”
This record tells us quite a few things:
1. There were huge exports done from the Machilipatnam Port then, just over 300 years ago.
In a short span of 11 years, such a large quantity of quality steel was exported from Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam).
2. Navigation expertise must have been high.
For such large exports to have taken place, the port itself should have had the capacity to handle so much trade. This could not have come about, all of a sudden. It would have grown gradually over the years, the proof for which lies in the records of trade between India and other lands across the ages.
3. There were a large number of steel productionfacilities in Andhra Pradesh.
All of a sudden, so much export cannot take place, unless there already existed a wide production facility across the land of Andhra Pradesh. This tells us that in almost every village of the land, steel production was a prosperous trade.
4. The steel was a high quality steel.
The Dutch wanting to import 1,50,000 tons of steel itself speaks highly, of the quality of steel produced at the village level.
5. There was a good inland trade and transportation network.
Without the existence of an effective local trade network, a Dutch Trading House could not have procured so much heavy steel in a matter of 11 years. This speaks of the existence of a good inland trade as well as transportation network.
Proof of the Pudding Lies In its Eating
In 1907, the Tatas were trying to set up the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in Mayurbhanj, against all odds, to revive the Indian iron and steel industry. Sir Frederick Upcott, the Chairman of the British Railway Board, out of arrogance and contempt, then remarked,
“Do you mean to say that the Tatas propose to make steel rails to British specifications?
Why, I will undertake to eat every pound of steel rail they succeed in making!”.
In 1916, during World War I, Tatas successfully exported 1500 tonnes of steel rails to Mesopotamia.
It was the turn of Sir Dorab Tata to now exclaim,
“If Sir. Frederick had carried out his undertaking, be would have had some slight indigestion.”
This success of the Tatas, ushered in the next wave of Iron and Steel manufacturing in India which has grown from strength to strength.
Cotton Trade of India
Similar is the case with Cotton and textiles,
Again, one of the major exports from the old ports of Machilipatnam as per the Dutch East India Company records of the year 1680s was cotton. As per these records, in a 5 year period between 1684 and 1689 CE, the Dutch had exported from the port of Machilipatnam, 1,12,00000 i.e.lcrore, 12 lakh pieces of cotton textiles to their colonies and other parts of Europe.
In textile industry, Piece is a term of measurement, like ream. One crore is the Indian term for 10 million.
Indian textiles demand in Europe
1614 – 12,000 pieces ( 73% of entire Trade)
1625 – 2,21,500 pieces
1664 – 7,50,000 pieces ( 83% of entire Trade)
1684 – 15,00,000 pieces
Dutch Company Import
1684 – 1689 – 1,12,00,000 pieces.
If a single company were to buy 1 crore 12 lakh pieces in 5 years, then one can imagine the overall volume of trade and therefore the overall quantity of production of cotton goods, not only for foreign exports, but for local consumption too, in every village, in the hinterland of Machilipatnam.
THE INDIAN WAY- THE WAY FORWARD
With making the Indian way, in each of the villages, it may appear to have been a small scale industry. Yet, collectively, it seems to have been a huge industry with mass production capacity.
A wonderful, small eco-footprint model, yet ultimately achieving a target comparable with the modern, mechanized industries of today.
India should woo foreign powers with its Made in India capability But it should be with the fine print of “Make the Indian Way”.
India has plenty of
*natural resources,
*large tracts of cultivable land,
*huge supply of young, healthy workforce,
*knowhow to make natural, value adding products and
*a ready market in the world which is ready and eager for natural, organically produced produce.
All its needs for India today, is to reorganize its thinking and a few main policies such as industrial, agricultural, irrigational and tradepolicies.
Let us choose to do it, the proven Indian way.
The road ahead encompasses
*making the right choices for making wealth and
*taking the right steps for safeguarding the wealth.
The slogan of India should henceforth resound as “Make In India, But The Indian Way”.
Making the Indian Way should infact act as a beacon for the world to follow
LINGARAJ PANDA,BARIPADA
