Write a short note on the establishment of cotton mills in the country.
Many cotton textile mills were set up in Bombay during the second half of the nineteenth century. The first cotton mill in India was set up at Bombay in 1854. The city’s close proximity to the cotton-growing regions in western India and it being an important port facilitated the development of cotton textile mills. Large numbers of these mills were established by Parsi and Gujarati businessmen.
Gradually, mills began to be established in other parts of the country too. In 1861, the first mill was set up in Ahmedabad. A year later, a mill was set up at Kanpur. The establishment of cotton textile mills led to a huge demand for labour.