Geographic Alliance of Iowa

Lecture on the Economic Geography of India:
Facts and Current Issues
by Luke Juran

Standards:
Standard 3: Analyzing the spatial organization of people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
Standard 9: The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth’s surface.
Standard  10:  The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics.
Standard  11:  The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface
Standard  12:  The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement.
Standard  13:  How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control Earth’s surface.
Standard  14: How human actions modify the physical environment
Standard  15:  The geographically informed person knows and understands how physical systems affect human systems.
Standard  16:  The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources
Standard  18:How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future

Grade Level:
10-12

Growth is evident in proximal distance to railroads and new roads.

Vendors and beggars are prevalent throughout the country, they are especially concentrated in big cities and near tourist attractions. There have even been publications stating that parents sometimes maim their children so their begging is more effective. Still others coerce you to snap photos of them and then go on to ask you for money.

Laundromats employ thousands in big cities.

Lack of monsoon the last 3 years has caused a myriad of agricultural village people to seek employment in big cities, usually to no avail. In contrast, heavy monsoons can flood village fields and harm rural people’s crops just the same (this has been observed in the monsoon of 2003 as it came full force to some rural areas).

The buying of grocery items is done on a day to day basis- fresh fruit, bread, meat, fish, and other stands line the roads. Cities also have large markets weekly or biweekly.

Tourism is the nation’s second largest income. The tourism sector has taken a downward spiral (estimated at a fall of almost 50%) due to recent events: September 11^th attacks on the USA, Afghanistan-USA war, Iraq-USA war, SARS outbreak of 2003, and the ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan are the major contributors to this drastic drop in tourism.

India is a rural and agricultural based economy, 75% of India’s 1 billion+ population lives in rural areas.

India is among the world’s top producers of milk, rice, tea, and textiles.

Careers are often tradition and generation bound- many children grow up and carry on their families occupation.

Transportation offers employment for many. Railroads, taxis, and rickshaws can be found everywhere with a significant portion of the citizens and visitors taking advantage of them.

The business work day is from 9:00 or 9:30am – 5:00 or 5:30pm. Major roads in large cities are chock full of pedestrians, bicyclists, motor scooters, taxis, rickshaws, and vehicles in the morning with literally millions coming from the suburbs for their employment.

There is a struggle for people to access and purchase property for agricultural purposes due to much of land already being owned. This has resulted in a large number of landless agricultural workers.

There can also be a struggle for families to raise enough money/resources for their daughter’s dowry, especially in villages. This situation can end with parents having a hard time marrying off their daughter and can also lead to families wedding their daughter to a male who is of a lesser stature than was previously hoped for.

There is a distinct, unequal distribution of wealth which is mostly attributed to the age old caste system and the previous colonization of the country.

The Indian government is trying to make it easier for its citizens to open bank accounts and get loans; they are also trying to move away from being a cash based society. Tactics being utilized to achieve these measures include being able to open a bank account with a small amount of money, low interest rates on loans, changing the government’s accounting system, and encouraging businesses to pay workers with payroll checks. The government also employs a myriad of workers which are paid with checks.

Rural to urban migration has become widespread and reached epidemic proportions. The government has begun to offer aid to villages in order to curb this problem.

The Indian railroad network, the largest railway network in the world, is an integral facet of their economy. The Indian railroad is the single biggest employer in the entire world. Employing many is just the tip of the iceberg though. The railways also aid tourism, the Indian business world, and move imports and exports throughout the country and to and from its many ports.

Stones and masonry are important and prevalent facets of the Indian economy. Marble, gravel, sandstone, and limestone are retrieved from a plethora of quarries. Gravel, sand, and terra cotta bricks are along the roadsides of every city. Brick making, cement making, and marble finishing also offer employment to many.

A definite negative externality of India’s industrialization, development, and economic growth is their pollution and garbage problem. The air in big cities is full of exhaust fumes and the streets of all cities, big and small, are strewn with garbage. Delhi has recently changed their gasoline to condensed natural gas (CNG) which has improved their air quality immensely. There is talk of other large cities planning to make the switch to CNG in the future.

Many organizations/agencies offer financial aid to India such as CITA, WTO, and World Bank/IMF.

Recent foreign investment has helped India’s economy. One notable example is computer software and IT products.

Major export partners: USA, Hong Kong, UK, Japan, and Germany

Major import partners: USA, Belgium, UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Japan

Major export commodities: various gemstones, jewelry, aluminum, iron, rice, jute, grains, and chemicals

Major import commodities: crude oil, machinery, and fertilizers

There are four stock exchanges in India: Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai

The government defines the poverty line at the equivalent of $60 (USD) per month

Major ports: Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, Kandla, Cochin (Kochi), and Margoan

Per capita GDP: $1,720 (USD)

Currency: Rupees (which are comprised of 100 paise)